Sri Lanka remained unbeaten in Asia Cup while for many cricket gurus, Pakistan is still the favorite. With master blaster, Shahid Afridi in his full bloom, and a fierce bowling attack at their side, Pakistan can realistically hope to win the final game today. One thing that would be haunting their minds as well as Pakistani fans, is the unpredictability of their batsmen. But then this is also true about their opponents who have failed the expectations many times.
This is an interesting fact that Pakistan has won two Asia Cup Finals and both were played in Bangladesh.
Toss: Pakistan have won the toss and will bat first. Good News is That Afridi is Playing Today
In the last match against Bangladesh, we witnessed how Sri Lankan top order collapsed. This is where Pakistani bowlers need to concentrate on. If they are able to take some quick wickets, they can restrict the opposition to a small total.
Playing XIs:
Pakistan teamSharjeel Khan, Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Misbah-ul-Haq*, Umar Akmal†, Fawad Alam, Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Talha, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal, Junaid Khan
Sri Lanka team:MDKJ Perera, HDRL Thirimanne, KC Sangakkara†, DPMD Jayawardene, SMA Priyanjan, AD Mathews*, PC de Silva, NLTC Perera, SMSM Senanayake, RAS Lakmal, SL Malinga
Both the teams are strong in the bowling department. Pakistani batting line failed the test when they were near a victory against the same team and Malinga played havoc with their batsmen. This is a weak point that they should learn from and vow not to repeat it. In ODI format, match can turn upside down due to small lapses as we saw Pakistan winning against both India and Bangladesh in almost impossible situations.
Angelo Mathews has been the most reliable batsman for Sri Lanka and Pakistan should find out his weak areas. When he is on crease, Pakistan must send their best bowlers because now a days, he is in prime form. Sangakkara and Jayawardene are the tested batsmen and can pose a serious threat if they succeed in staying at the wicket for a long time.
On the other hand Pakistan is a balanced team that has created a well-organized mix of experience and youth. Mohammad Hafeez and Misbah-ul-Haq are two most reliable batsmen. Umar Akmal and Shahid Afridi are also in good form who can fill in the gaps in the run rate. Ahmed Shehzad and Fawad Alam have proved their worth in the last match against Bangladesh and hopefully they will be part of Pakistan’s team.
Weather Forecast: It will be a warm day with hovering clouds but there is no threat of weather interrupting the game.
Asia Cup Final Pakistan Vs Srilanka Highlights
Part 1
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Part 2
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Part 3
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Part 4
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part 5
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