NEW DELHI: Misbah-ul-Haq and Umar Akmal added 152 runs stand to steer Pakistan to a convincing six-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup match at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka.
Umar (77 off 72 balls) and Misbah, who remained unbeaten on 72 off 93 balls, put Pakistan virtually in the Asia Cup final with their second successive victory in the tournament.
Misbah and Umar century stand for the fourth wicket took Pakistan close towards their victory, which they achieved easily with 10.1 overs to spare.
Misbah scored his 19th ODI fifty off 78 balls, smashing six fours and a six. Umar raced to his fifty off 54 balls, smacking four fours and a six to dent Sri Lanka's chances of registering the first win of the four-nation tournament.
The pair reached to their half-century stand in 68 balls to steady the Pakistan innings after losing three quick wickets inside 40 runs.
Suranga Lakmal struck again in the 13th over to dismiss Younis Khan and leave Pakistan tottering at 33/3 in 12.5 overs. Khan contributed only two runs in his 11 balls stay at the crease.
Pakistan lost their second wicket in the form of Mohammad Hafeez when he went for the cover drive off Seekkuge Prasanna's flighted delivery and the ball went to backward point where Dinesh Chandimal pouched a low catch.
Pakistan suffered first blow when Lakmal removed Nasir Jamshed, who made 18 runs off 25 balls with the help of three boundaries.
Mohammad Hafeez and Nasir Jamshed gave Pakistan slow start as the pair managed to post just 11 on the board in first five overs of the innings.
Earlier, Aizaz Cheema led a disciplined bowling effort with four wickets as Pakistan bundled out Sri Lanka for a paltry 188.
Kumar Sangakkara (71) and Upul Tharanga (57) hit fighting half centuries but there efforts were not enough to guide the Lankans to a respectable total at the Shere Bangla National Stadium.
As far as the bowlers were concerned, Cheema was the most successful of the lot as he picked four wickets for 43 runs from nine overs, willy off-spinner Saeed Ajmal accounted for three wickets while Gul snared two on what appeared to be a decent surface for batting.
Sangakkara and Tharanga waged a grim battle, adding 96 runs for the fifth wicket, but the Lankans needed more, which they could not, against the pace and spin combo of Cheema, Gul and Ajmal.
Electing to bat, Mahela Jayawardene (12) and Tillakaratne Dilshan (20) gave Sri Lanka a flying start as both accumulated 33 runs off the first five overs.
Cheema, before his remarkable comeback, was clobbered for 17 runs in his very first over.
While Jayawardene blasted pacer Cheema for three fours in the second over, Dilshan joined the party with two consecutive fours in the fourth over off the same bowler.
However, Cheema had the last laugh as he lured Jayawardene into attempting the aerial route, which led to his dismissal. The Lankan skipper was caught by Mohammad Hafeez at extra cover.
Cheema soon took his revenge on Dilshan with a short-pitched delivery. The opener went for a pull even as the ball reared at him quickly from back of a length, resulting in a top-edge, which Ajmal managed to hold around mid-wicket.
Sri Lanka slumped into more misery as Dinesh Chandimal guided a sharp delivery from Gul to the slip cordon where Younis Khan completed a brilliant diving catch to his left.
Pacer Hammad Azam made the Sri Lankan scoreline read 65 for four in the 15th over of the innings when he accounted for Lahiru Thirimanne (7), who was caught by Umar Akmal at point.
Tharanga then joined hands with former skipper Sangakkara to steady the Lankan ship. Both batsmen were happy to score in singles and doubles as they took Sri Lanka past the 100-run mark in the 26th over.
Sri Lanka had to wait for their first boundary for 58 balls after the collapse of Thirimanne, when Tharanga cut a loose delivery from Shahid Afridi through extra cover.
Both batsmen adopted a more cautious approach while keeping the scoreboard tickling. Sangakkara looked solid with his defense and front-foot drives.
Sangakkara and Tharanga reached their respective fifties in the 33rd over, bowled by Afridi, which also took Sri Lanka past the 150-run mark.
Sri Lanka took the batting powerplay in the 36th over but were only made to regret their decision as Ajmal managed to breach Tharanga's defense with his doosra, which crashed into the middle and leg stump.
Ajmal struck again as he flummoxed Farveez Maharoof (2), again with his doosra, which turned away sharply. Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul-Haq caught Maharoof at square leg.
Gul snared his 150th ODI victim when he had Nuwan Kulasekara (4) caught by wicketkeeper Sarfaraz Ahmed to make the scoreline read 172 for seven.
Trying to cut loose after watching wickets tumbling at the other end, Sangakkara was bowled by Cheema in the 43rd over.
Lasith Malinga and Suranga Lakmal too fell quickly as Sri Lanka failed to cross the 200-run mark.
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5. Misbah and Umar century stand for the fourth wicket took Pakistan close towards their victory, which they achieved easily with 10.1 overs to spare.
Misbah scored his 19th ODI fifty off 78 balls, smashing six fours and a six. Umar raced to his fifty off 54 balls, smacking four fours and a six to dent Sri Lanka's chances of registering the first win of the four-nation tournament.
The pair reached to their half-century stand in 68 balls to steady the Pakistan innings after losing three quick wickets inside 40 runs.
Suranga Lakmal struck again in the 13th over to dismiss Younis Khan and leave Pakistan tottering at 33/3 in 12.5 overs. Khan contributed only two runs in his 11 balls stay at the crease.
Pakistan lost their second wicket in the form of Mohammad Hafeez when he went for the cover drive off Seekkuge Prasanna's flighted delivery and the ball went to backward point where Dinesh Chandimal pouched a low catch.
Pakistan suffered first blow when Lakmal removed Nasir Jamshed, who made 18 runs off 25 balls with the help of three boundaries.
Mohammad Hafeez and Nasir Jamshed gave Pakistan slow start as the pair managed to post just 11 on the board in first five overs of the innings.
Earlier, Aizaz Cheema led a disciplined bowling effort with four wickets as Pakistan bundled out Sri Lanka for a paltry 188.
Kumar Sangakkara (71) and Upul Tharanga (57) hit fighting half centuries but there efforts were not enough to guide the Lankans to a respectable total at the Shere Bangla National Stadium.
As far as the bowlers were concerned, Cheema was the most successful of the lot as he picked four wickets for 43 runs from nine overs, willy off-spinner Saeed Ajmal accounted for three wickets while Gul snared two on what appeared to be a decent surface for batting.
Sangakkara and Tharanga waged a grim battle, adding 96 runs for the fifth wicket, but the Lankans needed more, which they could not, against the pace and spin combo of Cheema, Gul and Ajmal.
Electing to bat, Mahela Jayawardene (12) and Tillakaratne Dilshan (20) gave Sri Lanka a flying start as both accumulated 33 runs off the first five overs.
Cheema, before his remarkable comeback, was clobbered for 17 runs in his very first over.
While Jayawardene blasted pacer Cheema for three fours in the second over, Dilshan joined the party with two consecutive fours in the fourth over off the same bowler.
However, Cheema had the last laugh as he lured Jayawardene into attempting the aerial route, which led to his dismissal. The Lankan skipper was caught by Mohammad Hafeez at extra cover.
Cheema soon took his revenge on Dilshan with a short-pitched delivery. The opener went for a pull even as the ball reared at him quickly from back of a length, resulting in a top-edge, which Ajmal managed to hold around mid-wicket.
Sri Lanka slumped into more misery as Dinesh Chandimal guided a sharp delivery from Gul to the slip cordon where Younis Khan completed a brilliant diving catch to his left.
Pacer Hammad Azam made the Sri Lankan scoreline read 65 for four in the 15th over of the innings when he accounted for Lahiru Thirimanne (7), who was caught by Umar Akmal at point.
Tharanga then joined hands with former skipper Sangakkara to steady the Lankan ship. Both batsmen were happy to score in singles and doubles as they took Sri Lanka past the 100-run mark in the 26th over.
Sri Lanka had to wait for their first boundary for 58 balls after the collapse of Thirimanne, when Tharanga cut a loose delivery from Shahid Afridi through extra cover.
Both batsmen adopted a more cautious approach while keeping the scoreboard tickling. Sangakkara looked solid with his defense and front-foot drives.
Sangakkara and Tharanga reached their respective fifties in the 33rd over, bowled by Afridi, which also took Sri Lanka past the 150-run mark.
Sri Lanka took the batting powerplay in the 36th over but were only made to regret their decision as Ajmal managed to breach Tharanga's defense with his doosra, which crashed into the middle and leg stump.
Ajmal struck again as he flummoxed Farveez Maharoof (2), again with his doosra, which turned away sharply. Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul-Haq caught Maharoof at square leg.
Gul snared his 150th ODI victim when he had Nuwan Kulasekara (4) caught by wicketkeeper Sarfaraz Ahmed to make the scoreline read 172 for seven.
Trying to cut loose after watching wickets tumbling at the other end, Sangakkara was bowled by Cheema in the 43rd over.
Lasith Malinga and Suranga Lakmal too fell quickly as Sri Lanka failed to cross the 200-run mark.
