Farhan and Sadaqat half-centuries lead Pakistan to victory over Sri Lanka in 1st T20
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RAWALPINDI, Pakistan (AP) — Sahibzada Farhan celebrated his elevation to the Pakistan Twenty20 captaincy with a 52-ball 89 as Sri Lanka was beaten by four wickets on Friday.
Farhan carried Pakistan to 187-6 in 18.5 overs as he smashed 10 fours and four sixes. Maaz Sadaqat smacked 50 off just 29 balls and Pakistan took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Opening batter Lahiru Udara’s 91 gave Sri Lanka a fighting total of 182-8 against a new-look Pakistan pace attack that featured debutants Mohammad Imran and Razaullah.
Rawalpindi will also host the remaining two games on Sunday and next Tuesday.
Farhan and Sadaqat star in chase
The opening pair of Farhan and Fakhar Zaman (21) didn’t allow the Sri Lanka pacers to settle down in the powerplay as they combined for 54 off 31 balls.
Tall fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera’s two overs in the powerplay went for 32 runs.
Sadaqat struck two sixes and a four in the first four deliveries he faced against Eshan Malinga and settled the chase in the brisk stand of 92 off 53 balls with Farhan.
Sadaqat completed his maiden T20 half-century off just 28 balls before he fell on the next ball, trapped lbw by Maheesh Theekshana (2-36).
Sri Lanka hit back briefly when Chameera grabbed his 100th T20 wicket by having Hasan Nawaz caught behind down the leg side and Theekshana clean-bowled Saim Ayub on 8 by a delivery that kept low.
When Farhan, who counterattacked Theekshana with a six and three fours in one over, finally holed out to a spectacular diving catch by Sahan Arachchige at midwicket, Pakistan was only three runs from victory.
Udara propels Sri Lanka
Udara, playing in his fifth T20, struck 11 fours and a six in his 55-ball knock before he fell in the penultimate over.
Naseem Shah (3-36), recalled to the T20 squad after Pakistan left out Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Haris, gave Pakistan a strong start when he dismissed captain Kusal Mendis on 1 in the first over.
Kamil Mishara struggled in the powerplay and gave Fakhar Zaman one of his three catches and his wicket to Pakistan’s stand-out bowler Imran, who picked up 2-21 on debut.
But Udara revived Sri Lanka by putting on 60 runs with Kamindu Mendis (23) against the spinners and another 57 runs with Dasun Shanaka (18).
Udara completed his half-century off 32 balls and was caught in the deep in Shah’s final over as Sri Lanka hit 66 runs in the final six overs.
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See AP’s full cricket coverage here