Rizwan stayed unbeaten, scoring a brilliant 131 runs, marking Pakistan's second-highest individual score in a World Cup, surpassing Ramiz Raja's 119 against New Zealand in 1992.
HYDERABAD: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-Oct 10th, 2023) Pakistan continued their impressive form with a historic victory over Sri Lanka in the eighth match of the ICC World Cup 2023 at Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Tuesday.
Chasing a target of 345 runs, Pakistan faced early setbacks, losing their top-order batsmen, Imam-ul-Haq and Babar Azam, within 7.1 overs, reducing them to 37-2. However, a game-changing partnership between Mohammad Rizwan and World Cup debutant Abdullah Shafique swung the momentum in favor of the struggling Pakistani side.
The 176-run partnership between the two batsmen provided Pakistan with a crucial breakthrough, reestablishing their dominance in the game. Abdullah Shafique returned to the pavilion after a remarkable innings of 113 off 103 balls, featuring 10 fours and three sixes. In contrast, Rizwan stayed unbeaten, scoring a brilliant 131 runs, marking Pakistan's second-highest individual score in a World Cup, surpassing Ramiz Raja's 119 against New Zealand in 1992.
This remarkable victory serves as a significant confidence boost for Pakistan as they gear up for the highly-anticipated match against arch-rivals India at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium on October 14.
During their innings, Sri Lanka displayed an impressive batting performance, with Kusal Mendis and Sadeera Samarawickrama leading the way to a massive total of 344 runs. This total stands as the highest-ever against Pakistan in a World Cup match, surpassing India's 336 in the 2019 World Cup in Manchester, England.
Mendis played an exceptional knock, amassing 122 runs off just 77 deliveries at a remarkable strike rate of 158.44, including 14 boundaries and six sixes. Meanwhile, Samarawickrama maintained the momentum, achieving his century with 108 runs in 89 balls, featuring 13 boundaries.
Pakistan is now gearing up to face India on October 14, while Sri Lanka is set to clash with Australia on October 16 in Lucknow.
