Already 4-0 down in the five-match series in August and September a year ago – which included that shellacking at Trent Bridge – Pakistan gained a measure of pride with a consolation victory in Cardiff, the same venue for Wednesday’s semi-final.
Another round of enterprise at the top by the new man would do Pakistan a world of good.
Morgan would not confirm his XI at Tuesday’s pre-match press conference in Cardiff but said there was “a chance we could make a change”.
To cap things off, Shakib Al Hasan and Mahmudulah Riyad’s magnificent hundreds in a 224-run fifth-wicket stand that won they the game against more fancied New Zealand after being 33/4 chasing 266 to win showed their mettle.
“If we had held those catches, it would have been a different story today, especially at very crucial times“, he said.
Contrary to smashing their way out of trouble, they ran hard between the wickets and saw their team through to the finals.
As Sri Lanka looked to be heading towards a score of around 250, Hasan – the pick of the bowlers in Pakistan’s win over South Africa at Edgbaston – took the wicket of Suranga Lakmal (26) with a superb slower-ball off-cutter which just clipped the bail. Azhar Ali’s strike-rate of 79.02 since the 2015 World Cup is the lowest among all openers who have scored 1000+ runs in that period. And they put some scintillating fast-bowling on display with Hassan Ali and Junaid Khan wrecking havoc in the Sri Lankan batting lineup.
SPORT360 MATCH PREDICTION: England are favourites going into the match, but the way Pakistan have already proved people wrong in this tournament so far, you can’t rule them out. I mentioned after the last game that we’re getting to the business end of the tournament and we need to produce results. Speaking exclusively to Geo.tv, Sarfraz said that he is looking forward to continue the team’s winning run in the tournament. Niroshan Dickwella (73) and Danushka Gunathilaka (13) scored two boundaries each in the first four overs before the latter mistimed one to mid off to give Junaid Khan (3-40) his first wicket. I told him to just play his game.
England and India hold the upper hand if the semifinals are wahsed out, as they have topped their respective groups.
Sri Lanka’s total always looked below par, particularly after Pakistan pinch-hitter Fakhar Zaman smashed a quickfire 50 in 11 overs but his departure without adding another run set the nerves jangling and by the end Pakistan were limping home.
And when Junaid had Thisara Perera well taken at slip by Babar Azam, Sri Lanka were 167 for seven off 35 overs.