Mendis and Samarawickrama Centuries
Sri Lanka set an imposing target of 345 runs as their batsmen, Kusal Mendis and Sadeera Samarawickrama, displayed a dominant performance against Pakistan at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in India.
Kusal Mendis, in particular, showcased a swashbuckling innings, smashing the fastest century by a Sri Lankan in a World Cup match. The 28-year-old accomplished a remarkable 65-ball century before reaching a total of 122 runs, which marked his highest score in ODIs and his third century overall.
Mendis’s explosive innings featured 14 boundaries and six towering sixes, providing the backbone for Sri Lanka, who won the toss and chose to bat. Mendis and Samarawickrama Centuries power Sri Lanka to set a huge 345-run target against Pakistan.
Sadeera Samarawickrama also contributed significantly to Sri Lanka’s formidable total with a brilliant maiden hundred. He amassed 108 runs from 89 balls, including 11 boundaries and two sixes.
Mendis was fortunate to survive two dropped catches; first, Shaheen Shah Afridi dropped him off his own bowling in the fifth over, and then Imam-ul-Haq made a costly blunder in the next over again off Shaheen when Mendis had reached 18.
When Shaheen Shah Afridi returned for a second spell, Mendis struck three fours in the 25th over. Hasan Ali was the bowler who bore the brunt of Mendis’s onslaught, conceding sixes that allowed Mendis to reach his century off just 65 balls.
Sri Lanka Playing XI: 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
Pakistan Playing XI: Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf.
