Toss: Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to field.

Teams:

Pakistan: 1. Sharjeel Khan, 2. Ahmed Shehzad, 3. Mohammad Hafeez, 4. Sohaib Maqsood, 5. Misbah-ul-Haq (c), 6. Umar Akmal (wk), 7. Shahid Afridi, 8. Bilawal Bhatti, 9. Sohail Tanvir, 10. Junaid Khan, 11. Saeed Ajmal 

Sri Lanka: 1. Kusal Perera, 2. TM Dilshan, 3. Kumar Sangakkara, 4. Dinesh Chandimal, 5. Angelo Mathews, 6. Dimuth Karunaratne, 7. Thisara Perera, 8. Seekugge Prasanna, 9. Lasith Malinga, 10. Sachitra Senanayake, 11. Nuwan Kulasekara 

 

Pakistan lost a wicket off just the 10th ball of the innings, losing Sharjeel Khan for 6 who was trapped lbw by Malinga. The batsman decided to review, but replays showed the ball flicked the pad before hitting the bat and he was sent on his way by the third umpire. Hafeez was the next man in and he combined with Ahmed Shehzad as Pakistan reached 45 from the first 10-over mandatory Powerplay and he scored 32(52) before being run out after a sharp throw by Karunaratne in the deep, leaving Pakistan 84/2 at the 20 overs mark. 

Sohaib Maqsood faced just 26 deliveries before being caught at long-on trying to hit a long hop for six. He had previously lofted a Prasanna delivery over long on for a maximum, but being caught looking for a big shot has been a common theme in his fledgling international career and one he will have to consider in the following matches.

Pakistan brought up the 150 runs in the 32nd over with Ahmed Shehzad and Misbah-ul-Haq at the crease. The two shared a century stand with Misbah-ul-Haq before Ahmed was given out lbw trying to flick away a yorker by Kulasekara. However, he had done his job, scoring a brilliant 124(140), providing a foundation to the Pakistani innings. Just 22 years of age, Pakistan will have high hopes for the opener who also played an important role in the series win in South Africa. 

Afridi joined Misbah in the 46th over with the score on 233/4 and the two senior batsmen scored a succession of boundaries, including two big sixes for Afridi as well as one for Misbah who hit Malinga into the sight screen. Afridi ended with 30 off 15 balls, Misbah a serene 59 off 62 and in total the fifth wicket partnership contributed 51 runs in the final five overs to propel Pakistan to 284. 


Fall Of Wickets

1-8 (Sharjeel Khan, 1.4 ov), 
2-84 (Mohammad Hafeez, 19.6 ov), 
3-128 (Sohaib Maqsood, 28.2 ov), 
4-233 (Ahmed Shehzad, 45.1 ov) 
 

Sri Lanka started their chase of a stiff target with purpose as Pakistan elected to open the bowling with Mohammad Hafeez with Sohail Tanvir and were 41/0 in the 8th over. 

Ajmal was brought on in the 9th, and his first two deliveries were swept for back-to-back fours by the aggressive Dilshan. However, the next ball the Sri Lankan openers looked to pinch a quick single but were stopped in their tracks by a sharp piece of fielding by Bilawal who picked up and threw down the stumps, the umpire not requiring a replay to adjudge the batsmen short. 

Sangakkara came out to join Dilshan, and faced some good bowling by both Junaid Khan and Bilawal Bhatti, who were finding some movement in the air and off the pitch. However, Pakistan struck in the field again in the 15th over, this time a direct hit by Mohammad Hafeez sent Dilshan (40) on his way after his bat was caught in the ground just short of the line, leaving Sri Lanka 65/2 in the 35th over. 

Pakistan thought they had Sangakkara in the 23rd over, as they reviewed not-out decision to a catch down legside off Bhatti, and although there was a noise as the ball passed the bat, replays were not conclusive and the decision remained with the on-field umpire. The left-hander showed his experience by not being fazed by the review, and pulled the final ball of the over for six with his experience highlighted in the next over, where he celebrated his 12,000th career run.

The run rate was climbing before Chandimal countered with a six off Shahid Afridi in the 24th over. Sangakkara and Chamdimal broke the shackles and scored freely in the following seven overs, before Ajmal bowled a quicker one as he saw Sangakkara setting himself for a big sweep shot and the batsmen under-edged the ball onto the stumps after scoring 58 from 67 balls. As is often the case, one wicket led to another and Chandimal (44) had his off-stump pegged back by Junaid Khan to leave Sri Lanka 168/4. He came back to continue his impressive spell of fast bowling and in the next over castled Perera. Sri Lanka had lost three wickets for 14 runs in four overs as Pakistan wrestled back control, after Sangakkara and Chandimal had threatened to take the game away.

Kulasekara in the 38th over leaned back and hoisted Junaid Khan for six and never looked back, scoring three fours and two sixes before being stumped off Afridi. In the middle of the Kulasekara onslaught, Sohail Tanvir, the weakest link in the Pakistani pace line-up, conceded 19 off the 42nd over, which included a four, a wide and a no-ball which was hit for for six and brought the run-rate to a manageable seven and a half. 

Junaid was brought back into the attack to bring some control, and he duly obliged by bowling full and, as in the case of all three of his wickets, knocking over stumps. However, Sri Lanka stayed in touch with the run-rate and captain Angelo Mathews, who hit only two boundaries in his half-century, ensured Sri Lanka stayed in the chase until the very end. Needing a run a ball from the last three overs, he found good support from Dimuth Karunaratne. Needing five runs off the final over, Mathews slapped a long hop straight to the fielder, leaving Senanayake to complete the highest run chase ever in an ODI played at the DSC. 



Fall Of Wickets

1-49 (MDKJ Perera, 8.3 ov), 
2-65 (Dilshan, 14.3 ov) 
3-159 (Sangakkara, 31.5 ov), 
4-168 (Chandimal, 33.4 ov)
5-173 (NLTC Perera, 35.4 ov)
6-230 (Kulasekara, 42.3 ov)
7-237 (Prasanna, 43.3 ov)
8-281 (Mathews, 49.1 ov)
 

Ahmed Shehzad's century, bolstered by some big hitting at the end by Misbah-ul-Haq and Shahid Afridi, ensured Pakistan posted a highly-competitive target. The fielding - in the form of two sharp run outs - gave Pakistan their first two breakthroughs and Junaid Khan and Bilawal Bhatti bowled very well, finding movement off a good length to trouble the batsmen. However, Sri Lanka showed the value of batting depth, with Senanayake batting at ten, and levelling the five match series.


Next Game:

3rd ODI: Pakistan v Sri Lanka at Sharjah on Sunday 22 December 2013, 11:00 GMT.

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