Salman Agha’s Unbeaten Century Lifts Pakistan To 299 In First ODI Against Sri Lanka

KEY POINTS

Agha remained unbeaten on 105 off 87 balls, anchoring Pakistan’s innings.
Hussain Talat contributed 62 runs, stabilizing the middle order after early wickets.
Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga took 3 wickets, but struggled to break the partnerships.

RAWALPINDI, Pakistan: Pakistan has set Sri Lanka a target of 300 runs in the first One-Day International of three match series at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

Despite early wickets falling, Pakistan’s middle order fired, with significant contributions from Salman Ali Agha and Hussain Talat.

Sri Lanka, opting to field first, started well with the ball but could not maintain their grip as the innings progressed.

Solid Middle Order Contributions

Pakistan’s top order struggled to build partnerships, with Saim Ayub (6), Fakhar Zaman (32), Babar Azam (29), and Mohammad Rizwan (5) all falling before reaching significant scores.

However, Salman Agha played a brilliant knock, remaining unbeaten on 105 off 87 balls, including 9 boundaries. His aggressive strokeplay helped Pakistan post a competitive total, with a strike rate of 120.68.

Hussain Talat also played a crucial role, contributing 62 runs off 63 balls, which included 6 boundaries and 1 six, providing much-needed stability and a platform for the late assault.

With Mohammad Nawaz finishing strong with an explosive 36 off 23 balls, including 5 boundaries and a six, Pakistan added 53 runs in the final five overs, boosting the total past 290.

Sri Lanka’s Bowling Attack

Sri Lanka’s bowlers fought hard but struggled to break the partnerships in the middle overs.

Wanindu Hasaranga was the pick of the bowlers, taking 3 wickets for 54 runs in his 10 overs, including key dismissals of Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, and Mohammad Rizwan.

Maheesh Theekshana claimed 1 wicket for 64 runs, while Asitha Fernando and Janith Liyanage also took a wicket each. Dushmantha Chameera went wicketless, conceding 63 runs from his 10 overs.

Fall of Wickets

Pakistan’s top order crumbled early, with Saim Ayub falling for 6 and Fakhar Zaman getting dismissed for 32. Babar Azam (29) and Mohammad Rizwan (5) both failed to build partnerships, falling to Hasaranga and Theekshana.

However, Salman Agha and Hussain Talat steadied the ship, and Mohammad Nawaz added valuable runs towards the end, pushing the score to 299/5.

Sri Lanka’s Target

With 300 runs required for victory, Sri Lanka will need a strong batting display to chase down the target in the remaining 50 overs.

The conditions at Rawalpindi have provided a good batting surface, but with Pakistan’s bowlers capable of exploiting the conditions, Sri Lanka faces a tough challenge.