Ton-up Agha helps Pakistan down Sri Lanka in tri-series opener
RAWALPINDI: Salman Agha marked his return to international cricket with a century as Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by 37 runs in the one-day tri-series opener in Rawalpindi on Sunday. The 32-year-old scored a 90-ball 107 with a six and 10 fours to anchor Pakistan’s 305 in 49.5 overs, before skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi grabbed 3-55 to keep Sri Lanka down to 268 in 48.1 overs. The hosts now play England…
Salman Agha returned to international cricket with a century as Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka by 37 runs in the opening One-Day International of the tri-series in Rawalpindi on Sunday. The 32-year-old scored a brisk 90-ball 107, amassing his runs off 49.5 overs, courtesy of six boundaries and a magnificent 10 fours. Pakistan's innings concluded at 305 in their allotted 49.5 overs, with captain Shaheen Shah Afridi contributing 3-55, crucially restricting Sri Lanka to 268 in their 48.1 overs.
The match set the stage for the second encounter against England on Tuesday, also in Rawalpindi, viewed as a precursor to the 50-over World Cup in southern Africa.
Pavan Rathnayake and Janith Liyanage sustained Sri Lanka's resistance with a valiant 119-run fifth-wicket partnership, with Rathnayake contributing 79 and Liyanage scoring 60. Opener Kamindu Mendis added 44, while Rathnayake smashed two sixes and six boundaries, and Liyanage had five boundaries in his remarkable knock. However, Sri Lanka's last five wickets fell for a paltry 15 runs, with only Dasun Shanaka (28) offering resistance.
Pakistan's bowling attack, led by Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, and Faheem Ashraf, contributed two wickets each to their victory.
Agha, who had faced a challenging period since his last Test in August after leading the team in the first match, played a pivotal role in Pakistan's success. He smashed two consecutive boundaries off pacer Asitha Fernando to complete his fourth ODI hundred before falling to the same bowler in the 47th over. He bolstered the total by adding 97 runs with Hasan Nawaz (37) and a further 64 with Arafat Minhas (18).
Fast bowler Eshan Malinga was the standout performer for Sri Lanka with a career-best 4-46, while Fernando claimed 3-59.
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