Pakistan Win Comfortably To Get Closer To Place In The Final

Half-centuries by Misbah-ul-Haq and Umaar Akmal ensured that Pakistan cruised to a six-wicket win against Sri Lanka in Asia Cup to get closer to booking a place in the final.

Chasing a modest total of 188, Pakistan got off to a wobbly start. Mohammed Hafeez fell to Prasanna while Nasir Jamshed and Younis Khan gave away their wickets to Lakmal. At 33, Pakistan had already lost three wickets, but Misbah and Akmal quickly eased the pressure with a flurry of boundaries. The two of them then gradually built a steady partnership taking Pakistan to safe territory. Akmal fell for 77 with only four more runs needed for victory. Misbah remained unbeaten on 72.

Sri Lanka, who won the toss, had elected to bat. Their batting, though, never got going much, except for a 96 run partnership between Sangakkara and Tharanga. Both scored their half-centuries. But Tharanga soon fell in the first over of batting powerplay, unable to read Ajmal’s doosra. The rest of batting collapsed soon after Tharanga with the last six Sri Lanka wickets falling for only 27 runs. Aizaz Cheema took four wickets and Saeed Ajmal, whose doosras Sri Lankan batsmen were never able to read, took three wickets.

The emphatic win also gave Pakistan a bonus point. Two wins in two matches almost ensures Pakistan a place in the final unless Bangladesh causes an upset. Sri Lanka’s second defeat leaves them with very little hope of making the final