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SPORTS SEPTEMBER 08, 2023 | The Indian Eye 46

ASIA CUP 2023

Sri Lanka show their class

at home as Pakistan thrash

Nepal in the opener

All eyes are on Virat Kohli and Babar Azam as India and Pakistan set for a clash

OUR BUREAU
Kandy/Multan/Mumbai

ri Lanka defeated Bangladesh
in their campaign opener at
Sthe ongoing Asia Cup 2023 and
broke their own record to establish
their longest winning streak in ODI
history. This win over Bangladesh, a
team with who they have given some
thrilling matches over the years, is
their 11th successive win in ODIs,
which is their longest winning streak
in ODIs.
Their previous longest ODI win-
ning streak was from February 2004
and July 2004, in which they won
10 matches and between December
2013 and May 2014, in which they
won 13 matches too.
Australia has the longest winning
streak in ODIs, with them winning
21 straight matches between January
2003 and May 2003.
They also bowled out their op-
ponent for the 11th straight game,
the highest by a team in consecutive
ODI innings in history. The previous Pakistan’s Babar Azam plays a shot (ANI)
best was by Australia in 2009-2010,
during which they bowled out their
opponent 10 times in succession. 2/19 in his eight overs. Dhananjaya and fiery spells by Shadab Khan and Nepal was 104/9. Shadab got his
Electing to bat first, Bangladesh de Silva, Dunith Wellalege, and skip- Haris Rauf helped them crush Nepal fourth scalp, trapping Lalit Rajban-
sunk to 36/3 in 10.4 overs. A 59-run per Dasun Shanaka took a wicket by 238 runs in the tournament open- shi lbw for zero. Nepal was 104 all
partnership between Najmul Shanto each. er on Wednesday. out and lost the match by 238 runs.
and Towhid Hridoy helped Bangla- In the chase of 165, SL lost two In the chase of 343 runs, Kushal Shadab was the pick of the bowl-
desh gain temporary relief. However, quick wickets in the form of their Bhurtel made his intentions clear ers for Pakistan, taking 4/27. Haris
the game changed after Matheesha openers Dimuth Karunaratne and with boundaries on the first two balls. Rauf (2/16), Shaheen (2/27) also
Pathirana dismissed wicketkeep- Pathum Nissanka and was reduced However, Shaheen Shah Afridi, ev- picked up two wickets. Also, Nawaz
er-batter Mushfiqur Rahim, reduc- to 15/2. After a brief partnership er-consistent with the new ball, re- got a wicket.
ing Bangladesh to 127/5. From then between Kusal Mendis and Sadeera moved Bhurtel (8) and skipper Rohit Choosing to bat first, Pakistan
on, nobody except Shanto (89 in 122 Samarawickrama, SL was given an- Paudel for a duck, reducing Nepal to did not get to an ideal start as their
balls, with seven fours) put up a fight other jolt as Mendis was dismissed by 10/2 in the first over. opening batter Fakhar Zaman and
and Bangladesh was bundled out for Shakib. SL was 43/3. Nepal touched the 100-run mark Imam-ul-Haq were dismissed at 14
164 in 42.4 overs. Earlier in Multan, an all-round in 22.5 overs. and 5 respectively within seven overs.
Pathirana was the pick of the display by Pakistan kicked off its Asia Shadab picked his third wicket, Pakistan sunk to 25/2 in 6.1 overs.
bowlers for SL, taking 4/32 in 7.4 Cup campaign in style as centuries by dismissing Kushal Malla for six, with
overs. Maheesh Theekshana took skipper Babar Azam, Iftikhar Ahmed a catch by Iftikhar at mid-off. Continued on next page... >>

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