Pakistan vs Sri Lanka 2nd ODI: Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by 67 runs

Pak-SL second ODI: Pakistan win toss, decide to bat.

KARACHI (Dunya News) – Usman Shinwari’s 2nd five-wicket haul helped Pakistan overcome a powerful sixth-wicket stand between Shehan Jayasuriya and Dasun Shanaka and win 2nd ODI by 67 runs at the National Stadium Karachi (NSK) on Monday.

Sri Lanka were bundled out for 238 in 46.5 overs with Usman Shinwari taking 5-51, giving Pakistan a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. The first match was rained off, also in Karachi on Friday.

Earlier, stylish batsman Babar Azam thrashed a swashbuckling hundred to steer Pakistan to 305-7 in the second day-night international against Sri Lanka on Monday as Karachi staged its first ODI in ten years. The 24-year-old proved he is currently one of the best batsmen in limited overs cricket with a 105-ball-115 to lift Pakistan to a big total after the home team won the toss and batted.

Azam, when on 54, became the fifth batsman to complete 1,000 ODI runs in 2019 -- behind India s duo Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, and Australian couple Aaron Finch and Usman Khawaja.

He added an innings building 111 for the third wicket with Haris Sohail (40), as Sri Lankan bowlers toiled to break the stand.

It was only through an unfortunate run out that Sohail fell, leaving Azam to anchor the innings. He square cut pacer Lahiru Kumara for a boundary to complete his 11th ODI hundred off 97 balls.

Azam was finally out at deep mid-on off Kumara, cracking eight boundaries and four sixes.

Iftikhar Ahmed batted aggressively for his 20-ball 32 not out -- two sixes and as many boundaries -- as Pakistan made 89 in the last ten overs.

Openers Fakhar Zaman (54) and Imam-ul-Haq gave Pakistan a solid start of 73 before Sri Lanka s best bowler, leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga, trapped Imam for 31.

Hasaranga also had Fakhar for 65-ball 54 studded with six boundaries and a six. Hasaranga finished with 2-63.

Skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed was also run out for eight while Imad Wasim made 12.

While the first match was rained off in Karachi on Friday, the third and final game will be held in the city on Wednesday..

Pakistan skipper Sarfraz Ahmed said he is very excited to play first ODI series in Pakistan, and hoped that the Green Shirts register a big score against their opponents while batting first.

Pakistan: Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Haris Sohail, Iftikhar Ahmed, Sarfraz Ahmed (capt, wk), Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Amir, Usman Shinwari

Sri Lanka: Lahiru Thirimanne (capt), Sadeera Samarawickrama (wk), Danushka Gunathilaka, Avishka Fernando, Oshada Fernando, Shehan Jayasuriya, Dasun Shanaka, Isuru Udana, Wanindu Hasaranga, Nuwan Pradeep, Lahiru Kumara 

 

Second ODI rescheduled

The decision to reschedule second ODI had been made mutually by the two boards to allow the groundstaff to prepare the National Stadium outfield for this week’s play. The previous week’s heavy rains had left the outfield soggy and the groundsmen required at least two complete days to make the ground fit for cricket.

PCB Director International Cricket, Zakir Khan had said that unseasonal heavy rains forced us to review the series schedule. I am thankful to Sri Lanka Cricket as well as our host broadcasters for agreeing to amend the match schedule to ensure there are no further abandonments due to rain in what is an important bilateral FTP series for Pakistan, he said.

First ODI abandoned

Earlier on Friday, the match had been called off owing to heavy rainfall in the first one-day international match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka which was ought to mark the historic return of 50-over format in the country.

Karachi has not hosted a one-day international since January 2009 when Sri Lanka played two back-to-back matches at the National Stadium.

The tour comprises of three one-day internationals in Karachi and as many Twenty20s in Lahore. Pakistan have put in place stringent security measures normally reserved for heads of state.

All the arrangements are being led by the Pakistan’s military, with around 2,000 security personnel on alert at the team’s hotel and at the ground.