Salman Ali Agha’s Century and the Fast Bowlers Seal a 37-Run Win for Pakistan Over Sri Lanka in the Tri-Series Opener

RAWALPINDI: For a while on Sunday night, this one was slipping away from Pakistan. Sri Lanka needed 82 from the last ten overs with five wickets in hand, the dew turning every chase into a skidding contest, and then, in the space of four balls, two poor shots ended it. Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by 37 runs in the tri-series opener, built on Salman Ali Agha’s 107 and finished off by the fast bowlers at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

A comeback innings to remember

Salman, back in the side two months after losing his Test place, played the innings of the match: 107 from 90 balls, with ten fours and a six. Pakistan had lost Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub early, Babar Azam (45) and Saad Baig (39) rebuilt with a 74-run stand, and Salman then added 97 with Hasan Nawaz, who made 37. Sri Lanka fought back hard at the death — Eshan Malinga took 4-46 as Pakistan lost their last wickets cheaply to finish on 305 all out in 49.5 overs — but the total still asked questions.

Rathnayake and Liyanage made a game of it

Sri Lanka’s reply stalled at 91 for four before Pavan Rathnayake and Janith Liyanage put on 119 and changed the mood entirely. Rathnayake worked his way to 79, Liyanage to 60, and with the outfield slick and the ball hard to grip, Pakistan looked short of answers.

Four balls, and the chase fell apart

Faheem Ashraf removed Rathnayake, and then the two shots that settled it arrived back to back: Liyanage chipped Haris Rauf tamely to Babar Azam at long-on, and Dasun Shanaka, after a brisk 28, heaved Shaheen Afridi to exactly the same fielder in exactly the same place. From there Sri Lanka unravelled, bowled out for 268 in 48.1 overs. Shaheen finished with 3-55, and Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf and Faheem Ashraf took two wickets each. Salman was named player of the match. England are the third side in the series.