World Cup 2023: After South Africa, Sri Lanka suffer further misery at the hands of record breaking Pakistan

Sri Lanka have been at the receiving end of two big milestone World Cup records. In Delhi, on 7 October, they were thrashed for 428 runs by South Africa – the biggest total in Men’s Cricket World Cups. 1500 kilometres south, in Hyderabad, on 10 October, they let slip 345 runs by Pakistan for the highest target successfully chased in a Men’s Cricket World Cup. In two matches, Sri Lanka bowling have conceded 773 runs.

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Kusal Mendis’ face said it all when Pakistan struck the winning runs on Tuesday. He had heroically struck 122 runs earlier with Sadeera Samarawickrama piling up a century as well. He looked skywards in disappointment with the realisation that they had lost both their World Cup matches. Pakistan, meanwhile, had extended their unbeaten record over Sri Lanka in World Cup matches to 8-0.

At the other end, Mohammad Rizwan had darted for the winning run despite being physically unable just a few overs ago. He had slumped to the ground upon hitting a six, thrown his kit on the ground in pain as he seemingly struggled with cramps. The physios made their way onto the pitch and tried to help while the batter winced.

He had the finishing line in mind and sight. The hundred was celebrated quickly by just throwing the bat away, kneeling to the ground and offering a silent prayer. The challenge was still incomplete.

It was almost fitting that Rizwan struck the winning runs in the 49th over as he opened the face of the bat to collect easy runs in an otherwise arduous ask to kill the game off.

“It was difficult and when you chase like that, it’s always special. Every player in the dressing room had the belief we can chase that. Basically, it’s a good track and we decided to calculate the innings,” said Rizwan later.

Abdullah Shafique’s contribution to the chase and Pakistan’s cause cannot be understated. He came into the Pakistan playing XI with Fakhar Zaman dropped. The pressure of the situation: needing 345 runs, opening the innings and coming in as a replacement made things harder. Recent run of 2, 7, 19, and 52 runs didn’t alleviate cause for concern. But Pakistan, still, brought him in.

“Very happy with the way he’s playing. This is his first World Cup. His hunger to play, I saw him in the nets so I decided to play him,” Babar Azam explained his reasoning behind the selection.

As he brought about his century in the 32nd over, with Pakistan needing 157 runs from 19 overs, the task of chasing down 345 runs seemed real and possible. Shafique pulled a short ball to the boundary rope, crouched and curled his forearms in celebration. The risk free batting had come at run a ball pace with even eight runs an over looking doable all of a sudden.

Shafique didn’t stay in the middle for long, dismissed by Matheesha Pathirana, but had passed on the positive impact to his peers who scored 132 runs in the next 15 overs for the win.

Where does it all leave Sri Lanka? The bowlers weren’t quite taken apart by Pakistan as they were by South Africa but this would hurt the 1996 champions further. They could have brushed the brutal onslaught in Delhi as a day off with Aiden Markram, Quinton de Kock and Rassie van der Dussen in sublime touch. But this must feel stiffer in the fact that mystery spinner Maheesh Theekshana returned to the playing XI and to a degree this was self inflicted.

Sri Lanka were guilty of not making the most of the chances that came their way. Catches were dropped in abundance with Saud Shakeel surviving twice in a single Theekshana over. Additionally, after finishing 20-25 runs short, they gave freebies of 25 runs in wide balls and 26 extra runs overall.

“We should have finished a bit stronger than this. We were 20-25 runs short on this wicket. Credit to them, they were bowling really good slower balls. I can’t ask too much from them (bowlers). We have given them simple plans. We need to be concerned about the extras as well. We gave too many extras. We had our chances in the field as well, we missed a lot today,” said Sri Lanka skipper Dasun Shanaka in the ceremony.

This win could be just the spring in the step that Pakistan needed before facing India on Saturday in Ahmedabad. But for Sri Lanka, there is a very real possibility of going into a shell and becoming even more defensive going forward – something that is ill-advised at this stage.