Charith Asalanka is Sri Lanka’s hero while the world waits for the India-Pakistan final: Asia Cup 2023

Charith Asalanka is Sri Lanka’s hero while the world waits for the India-Pakistan final

Left-hander builds on Kusal Mendis‘ knock and leads team to title clash in thrilling last-ball finish as Rizwan and Iftikhar’s efforts are futile.

The first edition of the Asia Cup was held in Sharjah 39 years ago. However, the wait for an India-Pakistan final will be extended for another two years as Sri Lanka won in spectacular manner in a game that began on Thursday and lasted in the early hours of Friday.

It looked terrible for Pakistan midway through their innings, but via Mohammad Rizwan and Iftikhar Ahmed, they launched a spectacular counter-attack before the hosts responded with one of their own to set up a final with India for the eighth time on Sunday with a thrilling last-ball two-wicket win.

Sri Lanka’s path to the final was far from straightforward. As Pakistan continued to land counterpunches, the hosts seemed down and out, only for the packed Khettarama to keep rousing them up. This would go remembered as an Asia Cup classic, with no clear winner until the final delivery was bowled.

Sri Lanka appeared to be on course for a comfortable win when they reduced Pakistan to 130/5 before the second rain break. However, with the sluggish change in conditions following the showers, it set up an interesting clash. Rizwan and Ahmed appeared to have the game in hand when they carried Pakistan to 252/7 in 42 overs, scoring 102 runs in the last 10 overs.

But Sri Lanka’s batting lineup was not going down without a fight, and when Kusal Mendis and Sadeera Samarawickrama put on a century-run stand for the third wicket, Pakistan appeared to run out of gas. But Ahmed brought them back, this time with his off-spinners, as his three wickets kept the game tight until Shaheen Shah Afridi nearly put Pakistan in the final with two wickets in the 41st over.

However, with little luck and good sense, Charith Asalanka helped Sri Lanka cross the finish line as the Khettarama erupted as one. Pakistan, the tournament favorites, are on their way home for a little rest before arriving in India on September 25 for the World Cup.

Sri Lanka were up to the challenge after experiencing the track’s harshest change in characteristics while chasing a lofty mark of 252 (DLS) in 42 overs. They got off to a fast start before Mendis came through with an eye-catching innings. Pakistan came back only when the pitch became slower under the lights, as Sri Lanka suddenly struggled to force the play. From there, it was a cat-and-mouse game until Asalanka became a hero.

Earlier in the night, Rizwan and Ahmed, who were labeled villains for batting slowly when chasing a modest score against Sri Lanka in last year’s final, came close to becoming heroes. Rizwan batted 86 off 73 balls, and Ahmed struck 47 off 40, propelling Pakistan to a competitive score.

Rain fell before their counterpunch. After a two-hour-15-minute delay due to a sloppy outfield, followed by severe rain, which restricted the game to 45 overs each side, Pakistan’s innings was at 130/5 when the second rain break arrived.

Sri Lanka were beginning to make inroads in the middle overs, like they had done in their previous match against India, with their attack taking advantage of the two-paced characteristics of the ground, overcoming a promising start from Pakistan’s top order.

Pakistan had made four changes to their eleven, but nothing seemed to be working for them before the skies opened up at 7.30 p.m.

The tide is changing

The second rainstorm, on the other hand, could not have arrived at a better moment for Pakistan. When kept under covers, the surface of Khettarama has a tendency to shift when moisture settles in after a shower. It no longer resembles a two-paced pitch, with every other ball stopping at the batsman.

They’ve found it simpler to bat after a spell of rain, as the pitch softens and drives that were difficult to time before now accelerate off the bat. Sri Lanka had benefited from a similar brief spell of rain against India on Tuesday, and if not for the early strikes, the hosts could have extended their winning run to 14.

Pakistan benefited from it as well on Thursday, in what was a virtual semifinal. Rizwan and Ahmed are two batsmen that divide opinion in their home country. They are an important part of their limited-overs lineup, despite not being the most outgoing. Both prefer to go deep in the game rather than go hammer and tongs. Their limitations in terms of playing aggressive shots and forcing the tempo limit their range to only a few places on the field. In an era where most batsmen explore all angles, these two are a throwback to the 1990s.

With the rain break limiting the game to 42 overs per side, they only had 14 overs to regroup and get the team to safety. Their T20 limitations became their saving grace in the evening, as they were able to carry the game deep by playing to their strengths. With the pitch softening, they mounted a spectacular comeback that drove Pakistan to score 102 runs off the final 10 overs, propelling them to 252/7, a total that appeared out of reach at one point. They took two overs after the restart to assess the pitch, and then the runs flowed.

Rizwan has limitations as a batsman who begins in T20s, particularly when it comes to scoring on the leg-side. He is one of the few sub-continental batters who doesn’t use his wrists much, which means that the V behind the wicket is normally a dry zone until the bowler drifts a lot towards the leg-side or delivers width on the off-side. He didn’t have to worry about it on Thursday, as Sri Lanka fed him in the areas where he wanted them, as he picked 46 from his 86 runs between square-leg and mid-wicket, including two fours and sixes each.

Iftikhar is Rizwan’s polar opposite. He prefers to play his shots to the leg-side, where the slog over mid-wicket and mid-on remains his go-to option. He, like Rizwan, does not make advantage of the space behind the wicket. Most of the time, he appears to be a batter who is premeditating shots and loves to go to the off-side only when there is significant width.

With such disparate batsmen at both ends, Sri Lanka needed to be precise in their planning. However, their inexperience was evident, as aside from erring in line and giving boundary balls, they lacked a Plan B.

The decisive victory over Pakistan came in the 33rd over, bowled by Pramod Madushan, who conceded 18 runs. Rizwan and Iftikhar provided the much-needed drive, and they got 10, 6, 8, 5, 12, 12, 14, 7, and 10 from then on.