KARACHI: The Green Shirts in their World Cup 2023 match against Sri Lanka on Tuesday conceded their highest-ever total in a World Cup innings after the Islanders thumped the Green Shirts' bowling line during the eighth match of the mega event.
The match — the tournament's second for both teams — being played at Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi Stadium International, Sri Lanka's Kusal Mendis and Sadeera Samarawickrama powered their side to a massive total of 344 runs in 50 overs.
With a mammoth 344-run total on the board, the Islanders — overtaking India's 336 runs innings in the 2019 World Cup — became the side to have scored the most runs against Pakistan in a World Cup innings.
Despite losing an early wicket, the Lankan batters did not give in to the pressure as opener Pathum Nissanka completed his half-century, scoring 51 off 61 with eight boundaries.
However, after Nissanka was removed by Shadab Khan, Mendis and Samarawickrama took matters into their own hands and decided to take their batting display to the whole next level.
Mendis became an apparent problem for the struggling Pakistani bowling line, the 28-year-old was hitting boundaries all over the ground.
He scored a total of 122 runs on just 77 deliveries, at an impressive strike rate of 158.44, as his knock included 14 hours and six sixes.
After Mendis lost his wicket, Samarawickrama carried on the momentum and completed his century, scoring 108 runs in 89 balls with 13 boundaries.
Hasan Ali was the costliest bowler for the Green Shirts, conceding 71 runs in 10 overs, but he gave the Men in Green much-needed breakthroughs as he took four important wickets.
Hasan removed Mendis, Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka and Kusal Perera.
Ace pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi was the second most expensive pacer for the bowling side, conceding 66 runs in nine overs with one wicket to his name.
Pakistan have a mammoth target in front of them as the Green Shirts have never chased a target of 265 runs or more in their World Cup history.
Pakistan: Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf
Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis (wk), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dasun Shanaka (c), Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Matheesha Pathirana, Dilshan Madushanka
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