June 12, 2017
CARDIFF: Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed and tail-ender Mohammad Amir staged a late fightback on Monday to take Pakistan to an incredible three-wicket victory over Sri Lanka at Cardiff.
The win has taken Pakistan to the semifinals of the Champions Trophy for the first time in eight years, and will now face England on Wednesday at Cardiff.
Sarfraz and Amir steadied the ship after the Pakistani middle order collapsed once again in chase of Sri Lanka's 237-run target in the virtual quarterfinal between the two teams.
The openers added 74 runs for the first wicket, with Fakhar scoring 50 and Azhar adding 34. However, the middle order collapsed soon, with Pakistan losing seven wickets by the 30th over with just 162 on board.
However, a 75-run partnership between Sarfraz Ahmed and Mohammad Amir took Pakistan to an incredible win over Sri Lanka and ensured a semifinal berth.
Both Pakistan and Sri Lanka had to win to join already qualified title-holders India from Group B in the knockout stages of a tournament featuring the world's top eight one-day international sides.
Pakistan started their group campaign with a woeful 124-run defeat by arch-rivals India but bounced back to defeat top-ranked South Africa before this success against Sri Lanka.
India will play Bangladesh in Thursday´s second semi-final at Edgbaston, with the final at the Oval on Sunday.
Earlier, young batsman Fakhar Zaman departed after scoring his debut ODI fifty, but not before seeing Pakistan off to a confident start.
Fakhar scored quick-fire 50 off 36 balls after getting caught by Asela Gunaratne from the bowling of Nuwan Pradeep.
However, the following batsmen failed to capitalise on the start provided by the young batsman as Babar Azam (10), Mohammad Hafeez (01), Azhar Ali (34), Shoaib Malik (11), Imad Wasim (4), Fahim Ashraf (15) fell one after the another.
Brilliant bowling from Pakistan pacers earlier restricted Sri Lanka to 236 runs.
Hasan Ali ended resistance by tail-enders as he bowled out Lakmal, after Junaid Khan and Mohammad Amir ripped through the opponent's middle-order picking up four wickets in quick succession.
Junaid picked up wickets of Thisara Perera and de Silva for just a single each, hastening the collapse after captain Angelo Mathews was bowled by Mohammad Amir on 39.
Junaid Khan bowled a ripper to get rid of Dhananjaya de Silva. Mohammad Amir again bowled a brilliant ball while captain Sarfraz Ahmed took a sensational catch to get rid of well-settled Niroshan Dickwella.
Hasan Ali struck in a déjà vu repeat of Wayne Parnell's wicket to dismiss Mendis, followed by debutant Fahim Ashraf who clean bowled Chandimal for a duck, as Pakistan put brakes on Sri Lankan batting early into the game.
Junaid Khan earlier struck in his second over to dismiss opener Gunathilaka cheaply, after Pakistan won the toss and decided to bowl first.
Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed, speaking to media ahead of the big game, said: "We had a good bowling meeting. We took wickets. If you take wickets, every good team feels under pressure."
The Green Shirts were also inspired by playing in front of a partisan crowd, something they have rarely enjoyed in the recent past.
"That is a feeling we miss, not playing in Pakistan," said Sarfraz. "Maybe that was a difference, the crowd was supporting us and that’s why the players were boosted."
"It’s one of the top wins, to beat India," said Sri Lanka skipper Angelo Mathews. "The bowlers did brilliantly to restrict India to 321. It was a very chaseable target.
"Not many people expected us to win and that took a lot of pressure off us."
