(Cricket News) Pakistan continued their winning streak with a 6 wicket win against Asia Cup finalists Sri Lanka. The winners of the 2017 Champions Trophy were expensive with the ball, but they made it up with their explosive batting as Abdullah Shafique and Mohammad Rizwan scored centuries.

Sri Lanka won the toss, and they chose to bat first. They did not get off to a good start as Kusal Perera was dismissed for a four ball duck by Hasan Ali. Kusal Mendis joined the crease, and he was given two extra lives as he was dropped by Shaheen Shah Afridi and Imam ul Haq. 

Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis stitched together a mammoth partnership as both of them scored fifties. Nissanka was dismissed at 51 by Shadab Khan. That did not stop Kusal Mendis, as he changed gears and played even more aggressively, scoring the fastest century by a Sri Lankan in the Cricket World Cup – 65 balls. 

When Kusal Mendis got dismissed, Patthum Nissanka took over where Mendis left off, as he scored his maiden World Cup ton. Handy contributions from the lower order propelled Sri Lanka to 344-9 in 50 overs.

End of first innings: Sri Lanka 344-9; Kusal Mendis 122 (77); Sadeera Samarawickrama 108 (89); Hasan Ali 10-71-0-4; Haris Rauf 10-64-0-2. 

Pakistan got off to a poor start as Imam ul Haq and Babar Azam fell cheaply. But a mammoth 200 run partnership formed by Abdulla Shafique and Mohammad Rizwan took the game away from the Lankans. The two of them found frequent boundaries and rotated the strike often, leaving the Sri Lankan bowlers clueless. 

Shafique and Rizwan ended up scoring their maiden World Cup tons, and the Pakistan lower order scored a handful of 20-30s as Pakistan chased 349 with 10 deliveries to spare.

End of second innings: Pakistan 345-4; Mohammad Rizwan 131 (121); Abdullah Shafique 113 (103); Maheesh Theekshana 10-59-0-1; Dilshan Madushanka 9.2-60-0-2. 

See also: England Dominates Bangladesh with Impressive Comeback Win