Asia Cup 2023
Watch: Fakhar Zaman gets a lifeline despite the ball hitting middle stump, leaves bowler perplexed
Sri Lanka defeated Pakistan by five wickets ahead of the Asia Cup 2022 Final.
Sri Lanka defeated Pakistan by five wickets in the last match of the Super Four. The game did not have any effect on the qualification process of the Asia Cup 2022 but must have given huge confidence to the host team going into the final.
There were many significant moments in the match; Pakistan’s collapse, their pace bowling, Pathum Nissanka’s batting and others but the one that is garnering attention is Fakhar Zaman’s survival.
The left-hand batter was batting at nine runs when a Pramod Madushan’s ball inside edges the bat and hits him on the elbow. After falling on the ground, the ball then rolls back to the stumps. It however just kisses the stumps and the momentum wasn’t strong enough for the bails to fall out.
Here’s the video:
Fakhar Zaman luckily ball was very slow when hit the stumps ?#PAKvsSL #QueenElizabeth #FakharZaman pic.twitter.com/sE7PRpCWkS
— ???? (@iamsabir325) September 9, 2022
The bails did not light up, nor did they dislodge which allowed a huge lifeline in the match. The southpaw however had a short stay at the crease as he could only make 13 runs and got out of Chamika Karunaratne in the 10th over.
As for the game, it was a thumping win for Sri Lanka as they got out Pakistan at just 121 runs in 19.1 overs. Babar Azam was the top scorer for the team with 30 runs in 29 deliveries. Mohammad Nawaz also stringed 26 runs but none of the other batters could come good with the bat. Wanindu Hasarange took three wickets to subject Pakistan to another low score.
Coming on to chase the target, Sri Lanka batters got a bit of a hiccup in the beginning as Mohammad Hasnain and Haris Rauf took three quick wickets to land Sri Lanka in trouble.
The opener batter Pathum Nissanka and lower order batters Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dasun Shanaka and Wanindu Hasaranga came together to eventually take the Sri Lanka side to a massive win against the finalists Pakistan.
The two would go head to head on 11th September in the Asia Cup 2022 final.