Pakistan pacers limit Sri Lanka to 133/8 in Asia Cup Super 4 match

Abu Dhabi: Pakistan pacers put the Sri Lankan batters through the wringer despite Kamindu Mendis' fine fifty, restricting them for a vastly under-par 133 for eight in their Asia Cup Super 4s match here on Tuesday.

Sent into bat, Sri Lanka made a woeful start, losing in-form Kusal Mendis in the second ball, and an over later Pathum Nissanka, their most consistent batter in the tournament, too walked back.

Sri Lanka never really recovered from those early strikes.

On a night that offered plenty of seam movement to pacers, Shaheen Shah Afridi (3/28) made the first strike, eliciting an uppish flick from Mendis that ended with Hussain Talat.

Nissanka smashed Afridi for a maximum but edged the very next ball to wicketkeeper Mohammad Haris as Sri Lanka slipped to 18 for two.

But skipper Charith Asalanka and Kusal Perera effected a mini recovery through a 25-run alliance for the third wicket .

Asalanka and Perera looked in fine fettle as well, with both the batters finding a six each but the stand did not blossom further.

Perera tried to chip pacer Haris Rauf over the circle but Faheem Ashraf took a well-judged diving catch to snap the partnership.

Sri Lanka ended the power play on a bittersweet note at 53 for three. But the bitterness soon overrode as the Lankans lost Asalanka and Dasun Shanaka in successive balls in the eighth over. Pacer Talat drew Asalanka into a pull but there was no distance in it as Rauf took a simple catch near square leg.

In the very next ball, Shanaka edged Talat to Haris behind the wicket as Sri Lanka were pushed down to 58 for five.

Mendis (50, 44 balls), who played some really delectable shots, tried to salvage something for the Lankans with a determined fifty and stitched 43 runs for the seventh wicket with Chamika Karunaratne to take them past 100.

But Mendis was largely all alone in the venture, and the early damage done was too deep to paper over.