Asia Cup 2023

'Pakistan rehne do tumse na ho paayega' - Fans react as Sri Lanka win virtual semi final against Pakistan by 2 wickets in Asia Cup 2023

Sri Lanka have qualified for the second consecutive finals and will be playing India on the final of Asia Cup 2023

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Akshay
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Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka (Source: Twitter)

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (Source: Twitter)

Finally, after a lot of roller coaster, the Sri Lanka team kept their cool and clinched this virtual semi-final at R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo by two wickets. This is also the second consecutive final in which the Sri Lankan team will be playing. It will be Sri Lanka taking on India in the all-important final on September 17.

In a rain-curtailed match, which began as a 45-overs per-side contest, Pakistan skipper Babar Azam won the toss and chose to bat on a pitch favouring bowlers. Pakistan cautiously started their innings but lost opener Fakhar Zaman's wicket in the fifth over who came into the team after last minute injury from Imam-ul-Haq. But after the dismissal, the skipper Babar (29) along with Abdullah Shafique tried steading the ship but soon the skipper lost his wi8cket after looking in fine touch.

But the Pakistan batting lineup continuously kept on losing wickets in the middle which they have so often done in the tournament. The situation was such that at one stage Pakistan team were 130/5 but then the wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Rizwan (86) and Iftikhar Ahmed (47) revived the Pakistan innings. Probably, these were the innings that provided a solid ending to the Pakistan innings which ended at 252 runs.

Sri Lanka won by 2 wickets

In quest of the target, the Sri Lanka team started off in the fifth gear with Kusal Perera (17) demolishing the Pakistan lead bowler Shaheen Afridi. But his innings was cut short by a fielding brilliance from Shadab Khan. But Pathum Nissanka (29) along with Kusal Mendis (91) but former lost the wicket to the leg spinner and at that time Sri Lanka were tottering at 77/2. However, Sadeera Samarawickrama along with Mendis made sure that Sri Lanka remained in the driving seat as the duo stitched a partnership of 100 runs.

Similar, to what we have seen in the entire match, Sadeera (48) lost the wicket against the run of play with Sri Lanka needing 75 runs to win the match. But once, Samarawickrama got out the Pakistan team made the most of the opportunity and took wickets at regular intervals. The match panned out to be a last-over thriller but the Man of the moment for the Sri Lankan team was Charith Asalanka who scored a match-winning 49 runs off just 47 balls along with three boundaries and one six.

Let us look at how Twitter has reacted to this Sri Lankan victory;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

India Sri Lanka Pakistan Asia Cup 2023