Pakistan thump Lanka to take 2-0 series lead – Azam scores successive hundred

This news has been read 4868 times!

ABU DHABI, Oct 16, (AFP): Babar Azam scored a succesive hundred while Shadab Khan gave his career best bowling and batting performance to help Pakistan thump Sri Lanka by 32 runs in the second day-night international in Abu Dhabi on Monday.

One-drop batsman Babar knocked a fighting 133-ball 103 while Shadab scored a career best 52 not out to lift Pakistan from a struggling 79-5 before Shadab the bowler returned with his best figures of 3-47 to dismiss Sri Lanka for 187 all out in 48 overs.

The 23-year-old Babar and Shadab, who turned 19 earlier this month, were engaged in a match-turning 109-run seventh wicket stand which helped Pakistan reach 291-9 on a sluggish Sheikh Zayed Stadium.

The victory gives Pakistan a 2-0 lead in the five-match series while this becomes Sri Lanka’s ninth defeat in a row.

Skipper Upul Tharanga became the first Sri Lankan and 11th batsmen in the one-day history to carry his bat through a complete innings with a fighting 144-ball 112 not out with 14 boundaries — his 15th ODI century.

It were bowlers who helped Pakistan defend a low total despite Tharanga and Jeffrey Vandarsay (22) put up a fighting 76-run eighth wicket stand, but it wasn’t enough.

Dropped twice on 13 and then on 20, Tharana stood alone as Sri Lanka needed 51 off the last five overs but the last two batsmen were run out and he was left stranded.

It were bowlers who helped Pakistan defend a low target.

Once paceman Junaid Khan removed Niroshan Dickwella for three in the third over, spinners Shadab, Shoaib Malik (1-17) and Mohammad Hafeez (1-24) rocked the Sri Lankan batting with regular wickets.

Earlier, Azam followed up his 103 which anchored Pakistan’s 83-run win in the first game in Dubai on Friday, once again anchoring the innings.

Pakistan, who won the toss and batted, found the going tough as they lost half the side at the end of 20 overs for just 79, but Azam and Shadab led the fightback.

Azam brought up his seventh one-day hundred off 130 balls — his fourth this year — with a sharp double in the 49th over.

Shadab, who scored 14 not out in his only previous innings, played a support role during which he hit just one boundary off 68 balls.

Sri Lankan new-ball bowlers Lahiru Gamage (4-57) and Suranga Lakmal (1-42) made early inroads with three wickets inside first power-play of ten overs.

Gamage had Fakhar Zaman dismissed for 11 and Mohammad Hafeez for eight while Lakmal dismissed out-of-form Ahmed Shehzad for eight.

Medium pacer Thisara Perera (2-34) then struck twice, removing Shoaib Malik (11) and Sarfraz Ahmed (five) to leave Pakistan in a spot of bother.

Azam added 22 for the sixth wicket with Imad Wasim (ten) before his stand with Shadab gave Pakistan’s total some respectability.

The remaining matches will be played in Abu Dhabi (October 18) and Sharjah (October 20 and 23). The two teams will also play three Twenty20 internationals, the first two in Abu Dhabi (October 26 and 27) and the last in Lahore (October 29).

Sri Lanka’s cricket authority said Monday it will go ahead with its tour of Pakistan later this month for the third and final Twenty20 match despite security concerns expressed by several players.

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) said its executive committee agreed unanimously that the October 29 match in Lahore should go ahead as scheduled following reassurances of the best possible security.

The board said it “confirmed its commitment to play the third T20” in Lahore following assessments made by both Sri Lankan and Pakistan government authorities, independent security experts and the International Cricket Council.

“Accordingly, the selection committee of the SLC will finalise a squad of 22 by Tuesday and announce the final 15 on Friday,” the SLC said in a statement.

SLC chief Thilanga Sumathipala will accompany the team to Lahore, the statement added.

The October 29 match will be the first played in Pakistan by Sri Lanka — or any other top international team — since militants ambushed its team bus en route to the Lahore stadium in 2009, wounding at least seven players.

Doubts over whether the match would take place were raised over the weekend when some players expressed concerns for their safety and the board said it would review security reports, making a final determination on Monday.

Lahore will host the T20 series finale following several matches played in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where Pakistan have played their “home” internationals since the ambush.

Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Scoreboard

ABU DHABI, Oct 16, (AFP): Complete scoreboard of the second one-day international between Pakistan and Sri Lanka played at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Monday:

PAKISTAN

  1. Zaman c Mendis b Gamage.. 11
  2. Shehzad c Siriwardana b Lakmal         8
  3. Azam c Mendis b Gamage… 101
  4. Hafeez c Dickwella b Gamage. 8
  5. Malik c Dickwella b Perera…. 11
  6. Sarfraz Ahmed b Perera……….. 5
  7. Imad Wasim lbw b Vandersay 10
  8. Shadab Khan not out………… 52
  9. Hasan Ali run out………………… 7
  10. Raees c Dananjaya b Gamage 0
  11. Junaid Khan not out……………. 0

Extras: (lb3, w3)…………………… 6

Total: (for nine wkts; 50 overs) 219

Fall of wickets: 1-17 (Zaman), 2-27 (Shehzad), 3-40 (Hafeez), 4-71 (Malik), 5-79 (Ahmed), 6-101 (Wasim), 7-210 (Azam), 8-218 (Hasan), 9-218 (Raees)

Bowling: Lakmal 10-0-42-1 (2w), Gamage 10-0-57-4 (1w), Vandersay 9-0-44-1, Perera 10-0-34-2, Dananjaya 9-0-30-0, Siriwardana 2-0-9-0

SRI LANKA

  1. Dickwella lbw b Junaid……… 3
  2. Tharanga not out………….. 112
  3. Mendis c Shehzad b Hasan 10
  4. Thirimanne lbw b Malik……. 12
  5. Chandimal b Shadab………… 2
  6. Siriwardana c Babar b Shadab 3
  7. Thisara Perera c Babar b Hafeez 7
  8. Dananjaya b Shadab………… 1
  9. Vandersay c Shahzad b Raees 22
  10. Lakmal run out………………….. 1
  11. Gamage run out………………… 3

Extras: (lb6, w5)………………….. 11

Total: ( all out; 48 overs) 187

Fall of wickets: 1-10 (Dickwella), 2-30 (Mendis), 3-70 ( Thirimanne), 4-79 (Chandimal), 5-83 (Siriwardana), 6-92 ( Perera), 7-93 (Dananjaya), 8-169 (Vandersay), 9-172 (Lakmal)

Bowling: Junaid 6-0-21-1, Raees 8-1-37-1, Hasan 10-2-32-1 (2w), Wasim 1-0-3-0, Hafeez 10-0-24-1 (2w), Malik 4-0-17-1, Shadab 9-0-47-3 (1w)

Result: Pakistan won by 32 runs

Toss: Pakistan

Umpires: Richard Kettleborough (ENG) and Shozab Raza (PAK)

TV umpire: Sundaram Ravi (IND)

ICC match referee: Andy Pycroft (ZIM)

 

This news has been read 4868 times!

Back to top button

Advt Blocker Detected

Kindly disable the Ad blocker

Verified by MonsterInsights