PAK vs SL | Salman Agha and Haris Rauf shine as Pakistan go 1-0 up after nail-biting finish in Rawalpindi

‌Pakistan started the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka with a six-run win in Rawalpindi on Tuesday. Salman Agha scored his second ODI hundred to propel the Men in Green close to the 300-run mark before Haris Rauf shook the visitors’ batting line up with an intimidating four-wicket haul as the Lankans ended on the losing side despite Wanindu Hasaranga’s exploits with both bat and ball.

After opting to bowl in the first ODI at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Sri Lanka kept Pakistan under a tight leash with the new ball duo of Asitha Fernando and Dushmantha Chameera right on the money. Fernando dismissed opener Saim Ayub cheaply in the fifth over as the home side went into a shell playing three consecutive maiden overs before crawling to 28/1 at the end of the powerplay. But both Fakhar Zaman and Babar Azam looked steady in the middle as skipper Charith Asalanka turned to Wanindu Hasaranga for a dismissal. The leg-spinner responded in style, breaking the 54-run stand as Fakhar bit the dust trying to charge for a big shot in his third over. Soon, Pakistan found themselves on a slippery slope with Hasaranga dismissing the veteran duo of Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam with his well-disguised wrong ones. The visitors would have been in an even better position if they had not burned both the reviews early on in the innings, with Hussain Talat surviving a lucky LBW appeal in the same over after Babar departed, when he was on nought. With Salman Agha and Talat trying to consolidate the innings, the home side were placed at 119/4 after 30 overs leaving all the heavy lifting to be done in the last 20 overs. However, the duo added 138 runs for the fifth wicket, in just 121 balls, as the side managed to reach 299/5 in their allotted 50 overs. Salman hit nine fours during his unbeaten knock of 105 from 87 balls to top score for the hosts while Talat had six fours and a six in his 63-ball 62. The Men in Green added 104 runs in the last 10 overs courtesy of an enterprising cameo from Mohammad Nawaz (36* off 23 balls) while Hasaranga was the pick among the visitors’ bowlers with figures of 3/54 in 10 overs.

In reply, the Lankans started well as the openers took advantage of some ordinary showing by captain Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah with the new ball. The pair conceded 18 wides together in their first five overs as the visitors raced to 75/0 at the end of the mandatory powerplay. With both frontline pacers unable to create any breakthroughs, the mantle fell on Haris Rauf to bring the side back into the contest and he did that in some style. After being pulled for a six by debutant Kamil Mishara (38), the pacer rushed the opener with his fiery pace to induce a false shot with skipper Afridi doing no mistake at mid off. In the very next ball, he proved too hot to handle for Kusal Mendis, who played the ball on to the stumps for a first-ball duck. With the wicket of the other set batter Pathum Nissanka in his next over, Rauf reduced the island nation to 90/3 with two new batters at the crease. Asalanka and Sadeera Samarawickrama took the side past the 100-run mark and steadied the ship with a 57-run stand before Rauf once again returned to pick his fourth of the night. Samarawickrama, who looked comfortable in the middle for his six boundaries, had to walk back for 39 after Babar pulled off a stunning one-handed catch at slips. It was a familiar story for the visitors with set batters throwing their wickets to make the chase steeper. After a vital partnership, both Asalanka and Janith Liyanage departed in the space of an over as Sri Lanka stared down the barrel at 191/6. With the equation set at 109 runs of the last 17 overs, Hasaranga and Kamindu Mendis had the dual task of not losing any more wickets while keeping the required rate in check at the same time. But it was not to be as Faheem Ashraf returned successfully to induce an inside edge from Mendis to break his timber. Though Hasaranga delayed the inevitable with a valiant knock of 59 off 52 balls, which included seven boundaries, the visitors innings ended at 293/9 at the end of 50 overs. Meanwhile, Rauf was the Men in Green’s best bowler on display with a spell of 4/61 in 10 overs.