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Salman Agha and Haris Rauf bulldoze Sri Lanka as Pakistan win first ODI

Aakash Saini

Salman Agha celebrating his century [Source: @CallMeSheri1_/x]Salman Agha celebrating his century [Source: @CallMeSheri1_/x]

Pakistan edged out Sri Lanka despite Wanindu Hasaranga’s spirited resistance to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series. Salman Agha laid out the foundation of Pakistan’s win by scoring an unbeaten century in the first innings. 

Here, we take a look at the entire highlights of the first ODI of the three-match series between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, as it panned out at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi on Tuesday, November 11.

Salman Agha tons up, Hussain Talat whacks 62 as PAK mount 299

Pakistan mounted 299-5 in 50 overs despite slipping to 95-4 at one stage of their innings. Fakhar Zaman and number three Babar Azam both squandered away their cautious starts, falling for sluggish 55-ball 32 and 51-ball 29 respectively courtesy of Wanindu Hasaranga. Saim Ayub made just six off 14 balls at the top before getting trapped in front by Asitha Fernando.

Former captain Mohammad Rizwan also failed to get going as the wicketkeeper-batter became one of Hasaranga’s three victims of the day. Fortunately for Pakistan, T20I captain Salman Agha and Hussain Talat forged together a huge 138-run partnership for the fifth wicket. Agha himself notched up his second ODI hundred by top-scoring with 105* from just 87 balls with nine boundaries. Hussain also made a near run-a-ball 62 before Mohammad Nawaz’s finishing fury of 23-ball 36* turbo-charged the Pakistani innings at the death.

Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah wreck Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka started off with a confident 85-run opening partnership between Pathum Nissanka (29 off 39) and Kamil Mishara (38 off 36) in just 11.4 overs. However, Sri Lanka’s response soon came crumbling down with a triple strike from Haris Rauf, as the visitors slipped from 85-0 to 90-3 in the space of just two overs.

Sadeera Samarawickrama and Charith Asalanka compiled calculated 30s in the middle overs to stabilize the Sri Lankan run-chase. Haris Rauf, in his comeback spell, dented Sri Lanka’s rising hopes with the wicket of Samarawickrama to claim figures of 4-61. His pace mates Naseem Shah and Faheem Ashraf also picked up two wickets each as the visitors crashed to 210-7 at one stage.

Wanindu Hasaranga kept the spark alive for Sri Lanka by clubbing a sizzling 59 from just 52 balls. It was his dismissal in the penultimate over that allowed hosts Pakistan to seal a six-run series-leading win.