Talat, Nawaz hold nerves to inspire Pakistan to crucial victory over Sri Lanka

Dubai [UAE], September 24 (ANI): Hussain Talat and Mohammad Nawaz produced a spectacle to send Sri Lanka close to the exit route and inspire Pakistan to a commanding five-wicket win in the must-win Super Fours fixture at the ongoing Asia Cup at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.

After the halfway mark, Pakistan was in a dire spot with half of the side in the dugout, but Talat and Nawaz retained poise to steer the Men in Green past the finishing line. Nawaz was the aggressor with an unbeaten 38 off 24, while Talat preserved his wicket and returned unbeaten on 32(30).

While pursuing a 134-run target, Pakistan got off to a measured start with Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman raising a 45-run opening stand to lay the platform for their must-win fixture. Maheesh Theekshana kindled hopes of an unprecedented comeback in the final over of the powerplay.

He removed Farhan on 24(15) and a ball later dismissed Zaman with a similar delivery to reduce Pakistan to 46/2. Star spinner Wanindu Hasaranga entered the fray by hitting Saim Ayub's (2 off 3) off-stump. He got his revenge on Pakistan spinner Abrar by mimicking his celebration after the first innings drama.

Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha was Hasaranga's next victim. He failed to read the googly and got trapped in front of the stumps and returned cheaply on 5(6). Pakistan lost half of its side in the 12th over after Dushmantha Chameera breached Mohammad Haris' (13 off 11) defence and rattled his stumps.

Hussain Talat and Mohammad Nawaz joined hands at the crease and raised an unbeaten 58-run partnership to steer Pakistan to a comfortable five-wicket win with two overs to spare. After returning to winning ways, Pakistan moved up to second in the table, behind arch-rival India.

Earlier in the fixture, after winning the toss and opting to field, Shaheen Afridi set the tone in the opening over, and the rest fell into place. Pakistan's players stepped up in the field with clinical catching to script Sri Lanka's downfall. On the second delivery, Shaheen pitched up the ball, and Kusal Mendis gave away a thick outside edge to Hussain Talat while trying to flick the ball and returned for a golden duck.

Boundaries kept flowing, but came at the cost of wickets as Sri Lanka finished the powerplay with 53/3. Hussain Talat initiated Sri Lanka's batting collapse by removing skipper Charith Asalanka and his predecessor Dasun Shanaka on back-to-back deliveries in the 8th over.

The middle phase was a tough pill for Sri Lanka to swallow as boundaries dried up and the scoreboard ticked slowly. Hasaranga took the risk with a wild sweep but got cleaned up by Abrar Ahmed. To rub salt on his wounds, Abrar celebrated the moment with Hasaranga's trademark gesture.

Kamindu Mendis attempted to stitch Sri Lanka's comeback by taking calculated risks and rotating the strike. He hammered a four and a towering maximum in the 18th over. He sprinted for a double to bring up his fifty before floundering on the next delivery after being pinned in front of the stumps by Shaheen. With a boundary in the last over, Sri Lanka finished with a paltry 133/8. (ANI)

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