Mendis, Samarawickrama centuries in vain as Pakistan wins in record run chase 

Sri Lanka's Sadeera Samarawickrama (L) and Kusal Mendis gesture during the 2023 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup one-day international (ODI) match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on 10 October, 2023AFP

• Sri Lanka suffers second straight defeat in World Cup 

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Sri Lanka’s depleted stocks in their bowling ranks due to injuries were blatantly exposed by Pakistan when they chased down a record score of 345 for their second win in the ongoing Cricket World Cup at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Tuesday.

Brilliant centuries by Kusal Mendis and Sadeera Samarawickrama all boiled to nothing as Pakistan with hundreds from Abdullah Shafique and Mohammad Rizwan cantered past Sri Lanka’s total of 344-9 scoring 345-4 to win by six wickets with ten balls to spare. It was Sri Lanka’s second straight defeat following their 103-run loss to South Africa in their opening fixture and their eighth loss in as many matches to Pakistan in World Cups.

Poor catching at a crucial stage of the match off the bowling of Maheesh Theekshana who was the key bowler for Sri Lanka let Pakistan off the hook in the 43rd over which didn’t help Sri Lanka’s cause. Saud Shakeel was dropped twice in one over at 20 by Dasun Shanaka at extra cover and at 23 by substitute Dushan Hemantha at long off and those misses proved crucial.

Pakistan looked down and out with their poor bowling performance which saw Sri Lanka rack up their highest total in a World Cup game against a full-member side, but a massive third-wicket partnership of 176 between Abdullah Shafique and Rizwan gave Pakistan the momentum to challenge Sri Lanka’s total.       

Eventually, it turned out to be the biggest successful run chase in the 48-year history of the Cricket World Cup.

The hero for Pakistan was Rizwan who battled through cramps when his score was on 89 to carry his team to victory scoring a career-best 131* off 121 balls (8 fours, 3 sixes). Shafique who should take equal credit for having come as a replacement for the out-of-form Fakhar Zaman announced himself with his best knock in ODIs – 113 off 103 balls (10 fours, 3 sixes).

Sri Lanka began well by capturing the wickets of Imam-ul-Haq and Babar Azam for 37 in the eighth over – both wickets falling to Dilshan Madushanka. But from that point onwards Pakistan gradually took charge with the Shafique-Rizwan partnership that simply exposed Sri Lanka’s bowling limitations.

Kusal Mendis who is having a terrific World Cup gave Sri Lanka a tremendous start racing to the fastest century by a Sri Lankan in World Cup history off 65 balls surpassing Kumar Sangakkara’s record off 70 balls against England in 2015.

He pounced on two early misses at 8 and 18 to make Pakistan suffer with some sensational batting hammering six sixes and 14 fours in a career-best display of 122 off 77 balls. He completed his century by dispatching Hasan Ali off his pads for a six to midwicket. With Pathum Nissanka (51 off 61 balls, 7 fours, 1 six), Mendis put on a 102 for the second wicket after losing Kusal Perera for a duck in the second over to Hasan Ali who was Pakistan’s best bowler with 4/71.

Pakistan was guilty of bowling several wides and easing the pressure on the Lankan batsmen. Mendis took full toll of it to figure in another century partnership of 111 with Samarawickrama that certainly put Sri Lanka in the driver’s seat to post a massive total.

Samarawickrama conquered the Pakistan attack with a wonderful innings to reach his maiden ODI hundred off 82 balls (10 fours, 2 sixes) and what a place to get it than in a World Cup. He paced his innings out nicely, a feature of his batting being the use of his feet to the spinners as well as the quick bowlers.

Sri Lanka’s lower order batting once again faulted as they managed only 61 runs off the last ten overs losing five wickets allowing Pakistan to claw back into the game.