Pakistan wins low scoring ODI

By: Sahibzada Zaheen Iqbal

Umar Gul dismantled Sri Lanka's top order

Pakistan easily chased Sri Lanka's target of 135 runs after the tourists pacemen fired through Sri Lankan batting order. The match was interrupted thrice by rain eventually reducing it to 42 overs a side.

Umar Gul triggered the batting collapse in the 5th over when Dilshan skied the ball up for Ajmal. An indipper from Gul trapped Jayawardene lbw, before Dinesh Chandimal chopped one onto his stumps without using his feet.

In the first ten overs, Pakistan didn't concede a run off the bat for 26 consecutive legal deliveries. In that period, the only source of runs was 13 wides.

Mohammad Sami then took the charge and trapped Sangakara lbw on a inswinging yorker and dismissed Mathews in his next over, leaving Sri Lanka five down at the 15th over.

Only Lahiru Thirimanne (42) had put the resistance adding 25 with Thisara Perera and doubling that with Nuwan Kulasekara, to guide the hosts to 135 in 42 overs. Meanwhile Sami claimed another wicket and Captain Muhammed Hafeez also dismissed two batsmen.


Pakistan start was also not impressive as they lost the first two wickets very early. The 1st wicket was taken by  Malinga dismissing Azhar Ali and then Kulasekra bowled younis with his in-swinger. Hafeez and Misbah-ul-Haq made stability on wickets with a good 51-run partnership but at 20th over Hafeez (37) was stumped on Herath's turn. Youngster Umar Akmal(36) then joined Misbah-ul-Haq to safely guide Pakistan to victory. Misbah was dismissed with 3 runs remaining to win. Pakistan take the lead of 1-0 in this series.