ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi and allrounder Hussain Talat kept Pakistan alive in the Asia Cup after beating Sri Lanka by five wickets on Tuesday.
Afridi’s 3-28 restricted Sri Lanka to a below-par 133-8 and Pakistan overcame a top-order hiccup against Wanindu Hasaranga’s leg-spin to reach 138-5 with two overs to spare.
Medium-fast bowler Talat followed his two wickets in two balls with an unbeaten 32.
The second straight loss pushed Sri Lanka into a tight corner before its last Super Four game against India on Friday.
Talat and Nawaz bail out Pakistan
After being squeezed to 80-5 in the 12th over, left-handers Talat and Mohammad Nawaz, 38 not out, bailed out Pakistan with a 58-run match-winning stand.
Nawaz hit three sixes and three fours and batted aggressively in Hasaranga’s (2-27) last two overs to seal Pakistan’s first win in the Super Four.
Hasaranga’s brilliance with the ball and in the field saw Pakistan lose four wickets in the space of 12 runs.
Maheesh Theekshana, who didn’t play in the Super Four loss to Bangladesh, removed openers Sahibzada Farhan (24) and Fakhar Zaman (17) in the last over of the powerplay.
Hasaranga ended Zaman’s innings by plucking a sensational one-handed catch at mid-off just millimeters from the ground. Hasaranga then clean-bowled Saim Ayub with a googly and trapped captain Salman Ali Agha.
Afridi contributes
In-form Sri Lanka batters Kusal Mendis and Pathum Nissanka fell cheaply in Afridi’s opening spell on a lively pitch.
Kusal chipped the first ball he faced from Afridi to Talat at mid-wicket and Nissanka played a reckless shot and edged behind.
When fast bowler Haris Rauf (2-37) dismissed Kusal Perera to a brilliant catch by Faheem Ashraf at wide mid-on, Sri Lanka lost its three most consistent batters inside the powerplay for 43 runs.
After captain Charith Asalanka (20) and Dasun Shanaka fell to Talat in consecutive deliveries, Sri Lanka was 58-5 in the eighth over.
Leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed allowed Sri Lanka only eight singles in his four-over spell before.
Kamindu Mendis struck a fighting 50 but Sri Lanka’s momentum was gone. Kamindu fell soon after when Afridi got him lbw with an impeccable yorker in the penultimate over.
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