Pakistan’s batting woes continued in their Super Fours match against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup. They could manage a mere 82 runs after 12.1 overs of relentless, hostile bowling. The issue was both National teams facing off at Eden Gardens – the grandest of all cricket venues. Sri Lanka’s bowlers ran riot, underlining a staggering performance by the bowling attack.
From that moment on, Sri Lanka’s attack started to look ominous. Over the course of those 512.1 overs, each bowler played an important role in wearing down Pakistan’s resolve. Asserting command Thushara, despite having bowled just 2 overs, managed to make life difficult for the batsmen. Chameera shined the most on the day with his effort, pitching in with 3 overs and earning 1 wicket, getting Haris out for 13 runs.
Theekshana was the pick of the Lankan bowlers, returning 2 wickets from his 3.1 overs. He was extremely instrumental in blowing away Pakistan’s top order. He removed big hitters like Sahibzada Farhan for 24 runs, followed by opener Fakhar Zaman who scored only 17 runs before succumbing to the bowling onslaught.
Hasaranga’s contribution was even bigger, taking 2 wickets in his 2 overs. He bowled Agha for a mere 13 runs, claiming the fate of Agha’s third wicket. This, in turn, further crippled Pakistan’s chances of building any sort of competitive score. Asalanka and Karunaratne both bowled a single over each in which they did not take a wicket. It was the performance of their teammates that truly stole the spotlight, though.
Hussain Talat continued to hold the fort, with valuable knock of 28 runs. His performance provided a brief ray of hope for Pakistan, despite the team’s damning display overall. M Nawaz held firm, batting not out on 5. The squad’s final number was greatly influenced by the lack of notable combinations and an overall lack of scoring.
Pakistan finished with 6 runs in extras, all of which came in form of 2 wides and 4 byes. This boost proved insufficient to seriously improve their overall team score.
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