Coruscating Contest in Pak-Lankan Match

Sahibzada Farhan‘s record-breaking hundred and Fakhar Zaman‘s blazing 84 off 42 balls gave Pakistan a five-run win over Sri Lanka in Pallekele but it wasn’t enough to put them in the T20 World Cup semi-finals. It was New Zealand who became the second team from Group 2 to qualify for the knockouts.

After being sent in, Pakistan needed to win by about 65 runs to qualify, and for a large part of their innings, they were in business. Having made three changes – Babar Azam, Saim Ayub and Salman Mirza made way for Khawaja Nafay, Naseem Shah and Abrar Ahmed – they opened the innings with Fakhar and Farhan, and the two added 176 in 15.5 overs. It was the highest partnership for any wicket in T20 World Cups, bettering Finn Allen and Tim Seifert’s unbroken 175 against UAE from a few days ago.

Farhan’s hundred was his second of the tournament. No one else has made more than one in a single edition of the T20 World Cup. En route, he also broke Virat Kohli’s record for the most runs in a T20 World Cup. Kohli had scored 319 in 2014; Farhan finished on 383.

After the massive opening stand, Pakistan looked set for 220-plus. But the last four overs brought only 35 runs at the loss of seven wickets. As a result, they could post only 212 for 8, and needed to restrict Sri Lanka to 147 or below.

Despite Abrar’s three-for, Sri Lanka breached that mark in the 16th over. But Dasun Shanaka wasn’t satisfied with just that. He wanted to win. When Shaheen Shah Afridi came on to bowl the final over, Sri Lanka needed 28. Shanaka started with 4, 6, 6, 6 to make it six required from two. Afridi went way outside off to beat a reverse scoop. Now it was six off one. Afridi tried to hide the ball again. Shanaka left it expecting a wide. It was extremely tight, but the umpire decided the delivery was legal and the game ended in total anti-climax.

Farhan, Fakhar’s record-breaking stand

Farhan and Fakhar showed positive intent right from the start. Facing his second ball, Fakhar stepped out and slogged Dilshan Madushanka through midwicket for four. From the other end, Farhan steered Dushmantha Chameera through cover-point before launching Madushanka for a four and a six in the third over. The pair took Pakistan to 64 for 0 at the end of the powerplay.

Even after the powerplay, the duo kept finding the boundary. The 11th over was the first and only boundary-less over of the innings. By then, Pakistan had crossed 100 and Farhan had brought up his fifty. Fakhar got to his in the following over, off 27 balls – five fewer than Farhan.

Sri Lanka were also let down by their fielders. Dunith Wellalage dropped Farhan on 75. Janith Liyanage caught him on 76 but stepped onto the boundary cushion. Chameera eventually broke through in the 16th over when he had Fakhar dragging a wide delivery onto his stumps. Farhan brought up his hundred off 59 balls but Pakistan kept losing wickets at the death in search of quick runs, which didn’t come.

Naseem, Abrar strike early

Playing his first match of the World Cup, Naseem needed only three balls to pick up his first wicket. With Pathum Nissanka backing away early, he slipped in a back-of-the-hand slower ball, full and wide outside off. Nissanka reached for it but could only lob it towards extra cover where Mohammad Nawaz back-pedalled to complete the catch. Kamil Mishara was steering the chase single-handedly, but Abrar bowled him in the fifth over for 26 off 15. Then, Charith Asalanka and Pavan Rathnayake took Naseem for 12 in the sixth over to finish the powerplay on 49 for 2.

Rathnayake, Shanaka crush Pakistan’s hopes

Asalanka and Rathnayake took Sri Lanka to 75 in the ninth over before Abrar struck again. He beat Asalanka’s slog sweep and bowled him. With the final ball of his spell, he sent back Kamindu Mendis too. When Mohammad Nawaz castled Liyanage, leaving Sri Lanka 101 for 5, Pakistan’s hopes were renewed. But Rathnayake and Shanaka crushed them with a flurry of sixes. In the space of ten balls, the pair hit four sixes and a four. Rathnayake brought up his fifty off 32 balls, and when Shanaka picked up a single off Tariq to take Sri Lanka to 148, Pakistan were knocked out.

Shanaka almost pulls off a miracle

Sri Lanka needed 53 from four overs. Shanaka started the 17th with a six off Naseem but Afridi gave away only six in the 18th and also removed Rathnayake. But Shanaka refused to give up. With 46 required from 12 balls, he took Shadab for two sixes in the 19th and then tore into Afridi. The way he was batting, Sri Lanka appeared to be the favourites with six needed from two balls.

On the penultimate delivery, Shanaka shaped up for a paddle sweep. But the ball was well wide outside off stump. Shanaka tried to go reverse last minute but couldn’t connect. For the final ball, Afridi once again went full and wide. Shanaka left it alone, expecting it to be given a wide. On most days, the decision would have been in his favour, but tonight the umpire remained unmoved, leaving him on 76 not out off 31 and Sri Lanka agonisingly close to their target.