Pakistan has made history by chasing the highest runs chase in the World Cup to get two crucial points. Sri Lanka batted first and added a mammoth total on the board. Pakistan chased down 345 in 48.2 overs and won it with ease. Rizwan and Abdullah Shafique were the players who set it for Pakistan. What a run chase for a team that is known as chokers when they chase even small totals. A brilliant confidence booster for Pakistan. The bowling was not up to the mark but the batting was exceptional. Pakistan has moved to the second position on the points tally.
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Three records were broken today. Pakistan have never chased down any total over 265 runs before this which they did with the highest record chase in the World Cup History. Before this, Ireland held this record when chasing down a mammoth target of 329 runs against England.
The third record was that Pakistan kept the record of not losing to Sri Lanka in any of the ICC World Cup history. Pakistan is now 8-0 up against Sri Lanka.
It was an off day for the Pakistani bowlers who gave away too many runs. All the first bowlers were expensive. Kusal Mendis gave a tough time to all the top-class bowlers. When Mendis was batting it seemed that Pakistan bowlers had no answers for this destructive batter. His 100 gave Sri Lanka a chance to put something around 400 runs but Pakistan pulled back and SL only managed to score 344 for the loss of 9 wickets. It was a huge total to be chased down.
Hasan Ali was the pick of the bowlers who got 4 wickets for 71 runs in his 10 overs quota. A touch expensive. Shaheen Shah Afridi bowled out 9 overs for 1 wicket and 66 runs. Haris Rauf was expensive too. In his 10 overs, he gave away 64 runs for 2 wickets in the last over of the game. Muhammad Nawaz and Shadab Khan got one wicket each but they were a touch expensive too.
The start of Pakistan chasing down this mammoth total was not an ideal one. Pakistan lost opener Imam Ul Haq and Captain Babar Azam cheaply at 37 in the 8th over of the game. Babar Azam was a bit unlucky when he snicked a wide from Madushanka.
Rizwan and Abdullah Shafique started when things were gloomy for Pakistan. Both started slowly to steady the ship and then started to accelerate the run chase. Both added 176 for 157 balls. Abdullah made his maiden hundred on the debut of his World Cup. That is something amazing from a player who has just arrived in the arena.
Muhammad Rizwan the Wounded Lion has fought for his team till the end. He scored 131 Not Out for 121 balls with 8 fours and three maximums. During his inning, he was suffering from severe pain. He batted till the end and got his team home. A record chase was done and dusted in 28.2 overs. Rizwan was the main of the match.
