The World Cup debutant for Pakistan, Abdullah Shafique, stepped up big time and proved once again why he is considered one of the classiest batters in the world by scoring an important century against Sri Lanka at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket, Hyderabad, India, on Tuesday.
The Men in Green met with early blows as they were 37-2 in just 7.2 overs and then Abdullah took authority of the chase and became the only Pakistani batter to score a century on his World Cup debut.
Abdullah built a match-winning 176-run partnership with the wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Rizwan and got his side out of the danger zone by providing the much-needed stability in the middle.
However, after scoring 113 in 103 balls courtesy of 10 fours and three sixes, Abdullah went back to the pavilion as Sri Lanka’s substitute Hemantha took an absolute blinder and gave his side something to cheer.
By the time this story was filed, Pakistan was batting at 271-3 in 40 overs with Mohammad Rizwan (97) and Saud Shakeel (16) on the crease.
Earlier in the first innings, Pakistani bowlers were taken to the cleaners by the Sri Lankan batters as they conceded 344 runs courtesy of a staggering batting display by Kusal Mendis and Sadeera Samarawickrama.
With their fantastic display with the bat, the Islanders became the first team to score the most runs in an innings against Pakistan in the tournament's history, overtaking India who scored 336 in the 2019 World Cup in Manchester, England.
Hasan Ali was the costliest bowler for the Green Shirts, conceding 71 runs in 10 overs, but he gave the Men in Green much-needed breakthroughs as he took four important wickets.
Hasan removed Mendis, Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka and Kusal Perera.
Ace pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi was the second most expensive pacer for the bowling side, conceding 66 runs in nine overs with one wicket to his name.
Playing XIs
Pakistan: Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf
Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis (wk), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dasun Shanaka (c), Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Matheesha Pathirana, Dilshan Madushanka
