Pakistan v Sri Lanka: Key Plays

MOMENT OF THE DAY

With the match on a knife-edge, and a place in the semi-finals on the line, Thisara Perera’s dropped catch could not have come at a worse time for Sri Lanka. That it was an absolute dolly, which the all-rounder would catch 99 times out of a hundred, rubbed further salt into the wounds. Pakistan required 43 for victory with three wickets remaining when Sarfraz Ahmed was early on a Lasith Malinga slower ball and chipped straight to mid-on. So simple was the chance that Malinga was already into his celebration stride as Perera fumbled the ball to the floor, giving Sarfraz an almighty reprieve. Malinga’s composure was pushed to the very limit as sub fielder Seekuge Prasanna dropped a more difficult chance at deep square-leg in his next over, with Sarfraz again the beneficiary. If either chance had been taken, Sri Lanka would have been firm favourites.

MAN OF THE DAY – PAKISTAN: SARFRAZ AHMED

There were several notable performances from the men in green – with seamers Junaid Khan and Hasan Ali taking three wickets apiece and opener Fakhar Zaman hitting a breezy half-century to get Pakistan’s chase up and running – but Sarfraz deserves the plaudits for producing a captain’s knock to take his team over the line, sharing a stand of 75 with the calm-headed Mohammad Amir. Pakistan’s skipper rode his luck with those dropped chances and a near run out but kept his cool in a high-pressure situation to finish unbeaten on 61. His superb one-handed catch to dismiss the dangerous Niroshan Dickwella was also a significant moment in the match.

MAN OF THE DAY – SRI LANKA: NUWAN PRADEEP

Dickwella’s innings of 73 formed the backbone of Sri Lanka’s below-par 236 but Nuwan Pradeep’s three-wicket haul prised the game open and gave his team a shot at victory. The right-arm seamer found bounce and movement to dismiss Fakhar, Babar Azam and Imad Wasim and were it not for the aforementioned howlers in the field, his contribution could well have been match defining.

SHOT OF THE DAY

There are few sweeter timers of a cricket ball than the laconic Angelo Mathews and Sri Lanka’s captain has been a joy to watch since returning to the side after injury. Mohammad Amir cut short his innings on 39 today, the left-armer picking up his first wicket of the tournament, but not before Mathews played the shot of the match, taking a couple of strides to get to the pitch of the ball and lofting a Mohammad Hafeez delivery high into the stands.

BALL OF THE DAY

Kusal Mendis has publicly declared his aspiration to one day become the best batsman in the world and the way in which he batted in Sri Lanka’s famous win against India suggested that target could be within his reach. The 22-year-old right-hander started beautifully again today, easing his way to 27 from 29 deliveries, and it was always going to take something special to remove him. Step up Hasan Ali. The right-arm seamer came wide on the crease to angle the ball in at Mendis before getting it to jag away late and hit the top of middle stump. Hasan finished with figures of 3-43, taking his wicket tally for the tournament to seven.

STAT OF THE DAY

Lasith Malinga’s dismissal of Shoaib Malik was his 25th wicket in the ICC Champions Trophy, taking him clear of his compatriot Muttiah Muralitharan. The right-arm quick is now second in the tournament’s all-time list, three behind New Zealand’s Kyle Mills.