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Men in Green praise Babar Azam (Source: AFP Photos)
After wrapping up the white-ball series against South Africa, Pakistan has already started their next ODI assignment against Sri Lanka on high. Facing them in the first match, the Men in Green registered a thrilling six-run victory.
As Babar Azam’s century draft is still going on, but in the last match, his outstanding one-handed catch stunned the world. After the victory, captain Shaheen Afridi couldn’t stop praising the Pakistani great.
Shaheen applauds Babar’s breathtaking grab
When the world is busy criticizing Babar Azam for his long-standing century drought, in the first ODI against Sri Lanka, the Pakistani batter proved he still has some more to offer on the field. As the Men in Green were defending a 299-run total, Babar Azam’s unbelievable catch of Sadeera Samarawickrama amazed the world.
In the fourth delivery of the 27th over, Haris Rauf bowled a brilliant delivery. Attempting to guide it away, he edged the ball toward the slips, straight to Babar Azam. With lightning reflexes, Babar pulled off a stunning one-handed grab. As the moment one of the biggest highlights of the match, Shaheen Afridi praised Babar’s exceptional effort.
“Yeah, he was awesome. He was Superman,” Shaheen Afridi said.
Afridi lauds Haris Rauf for his game-changing brilliance
Along with Babar’s catch and Pakistan’s outstanding performance with the bat, Haris Rauf’s brilliant four-wicket haul was one of the biggest weapons for Pakistan to win. Defending the total with intent, Rauf dismantled Sri Lanka’s core by removing Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Kusal Mendis, and Sadeera Samarawickrama.
His lethal spell turned the tide in Pakistan’s favor. After wrapping up the match, the Pakistan skipper hailed Rauf’s brilliance.
“It was really awesome to see Haris Rauf. He has always been a wicket-taker for Pakistan for many years. He has been our top performer in white-ball cricket. He is our main-bowler,” Afridi added.
With a 6-run victory in the first match of the three-match series, Pakistan has taken the lead in the series by 1-0. As the next match is scheduled for November 13, Sri Lanka will be eager to level the series with a brilliant win.
