🏏Pakistan vs Sri Lanka, Super Fours, 5th Match, Asia Cup 2023 🏏

🏏Pakistan vs Sri Lanka, Super Fours, 5th Match, Asia Cup 2023 🏏

Pakistan and Sri Lanka will meet in the Asia Cup 2023 Super Four fixture at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo TODAY.

The winner of the match will qualify for the final against India on September 17.

All the other sides who are in the Super 4 stage have posted a 300-plus total at least once in this competition, Sri Lanka are the only team to have not done so.

But with so much variety in their bowling attack, they have managed to tie down the other teams and have now bowled out the opposition for 14 games in a row.

Be it batting or bowling, different players have put their hands up and come to Sri Lanka's aid, with Dunith Wellalage being the latest in the list - although his brilliant all-round performance against India went in vain.

Pakistan, meanwhile, have been hamstrung by injuries to their key pacers, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah, who are being monitored by their medical staff but may not play a further role in this Asia Cup.

Shaheen Afridi too injured his finger, but it didn't seem to be a major worry as he came out to bat against India.

He will now have to play a key role with the ball and hit the straps straightaway if Pakistan are to gain a position of strength.

Pakistan's batting was a letdown in their previous game, as they were bundled out for 128 to lose by a mammoth 228-run margin. Babar Azam will look to lead by example, but he will expect some support from the rest of the top order, which has blown hot and cold.

Pakistan: Zaman Khan, called up as a replacement for Naseem, found a place in the Pakistan eleven for their next game, as did Mohammad Wasim Jr. Mohammad Haris has replaced Fakhar Zaman who has been struggling for runs recently. Saud Shakeel got into the eleven in place of Agha Salman, who was struck on his face attempting to play a sweep shot against Ravindra Jadeja. Spinner Mohammad Nawaz got into the eleven as well, in place of Faheem Ashraf. Meanwhile, A PCB release added that Rauf "continues to recover well after he felt discomfort in his right flank" while also mentioning that Shahnawaz Dahani will join the team on Thursday morning.

Playing XI: Mohammad Haris, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Zaman Khan

Sri Lanka: Despite the injury-forced absence of their key bowlers, Sri Lanka have made up for their absence with collective shows in their matches so far. They are likely to go in with an unchanged eleven as they have done throughout the competition.

Probable XI: Pathum Nissanka, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kusal Mendis (wk), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dasun Shanaka (c), Dunith Wellalage, Maheesh Theekshana, Kasun Rajitha, Matheesha Pathirana.

Did you know?

- Sri Lanka last won an ODI against Pakistan in 2015, losing eight matches against them since then. These two teams last played an ODI in October 2019.

- Babar Azam's last six innings against Sri Lanka in ODIs - 103, 101, 30, 69*, 115, 31 (last)

What they said:

"We haven't lost a game for three months, and it's a timely reminder for us to turn up every day, put our best on the park. It's actually a gift that over the last two days we haven't quite done that" - Grant Bradburn, Pakistan head coach, on the team's loss to India.

What to expect: Weather-wise, a couple of spells of thunderstorms are forecast in the evening, which may lead to a curtailed game. In case both teams end up sharing points, Sri Lanka, with a better NRR, will go into the final. The India-Pakistan game saw the team batting first post a massive total and the seamers played a key role early in the second innings. But later in that match and also the next, spin proved crucial with Kuldeep Yadav bagging nine wickets in two games, and Sri Lanka using spin to bowl India out. All three games played so far in Colombo were lost by the teams chasing.

The Lankan side, after getting defeated by India by 41 in a high voltage clash, are determined to make a comeback. Many eyes will be on the sensational Dunith Wellalage, who starred with both bat and ball against the formidable Indian side.

On the other hand, Pakistan has also tasted defeat in their first Super 4 stage clash against India and are eager to bounce back in the tournament and regain confidence.

The encounter is crucial for both teams, as the winner of this match will seal his spot in the Asia Cup final alongside India.

R. Premadasa Stadium predominantly favours spinners, but its fast outfield and short boundaries benefit batters. Chasing is challenging, as demonstrated in the India-Pakistan match, so the toss-winning captain will likely opt to bat first. The average first innings score in ODIs on the venue is 232.

Pakistan won their first game against Bangladesh by 7 wickets while losing their second game to India by a huge margin of 228 runs. They are currently sitting third on the points table, with 2 points to their tally, and a net run rate of -1.892.

On the other hand, Sri Lanka won their first game of the Super 4 stage against Bangladesh by 21 runs while losing their second game to India by 41 runs. They have 2 points to their tally with a net run rate of -0.200 and are placed second on the points table.

This game will be equally important for both of these sides. These two teams have faced each other in a total of 155 matches so far, where Pakistan won 92 games while Sri Lanka won 58 games.

The R. Premadasa Stadium has a batting-friendly surface that is supposed to aid batters once more. Pacers may receive some assistance in the second half of the game, while spinners will have the opportunity to take wickets in the middle overs.

Average 1st innings score:

The average first-innings score on this wicket is 260 runs.

Record of chasing teams:

The team batting second doesn’t enjoy good records here. They have a winning percentage of 40 on this track.

Considering the team combination, Pakistan is expected to win this match. Sri Lanka is currently in second place after playing two games in the Super Four round, winning one of them. Pakistan, on the other hand, is currently third in the rankings and has won and lost a game. It will be interesting to see who will take the victory and who will turn in the best performances

History speaks strongly in the exciting match between Pakistan (PAK) and Sri Lanka (SL). There is a rivalry between these two teams that sends fans into an excitement after 155 games between them. Pakistan has proven its superiority by winning 92 of these encounters. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, has demonstrated its strength with 58 victories. Four of the intense matches ended without a decision, and one match ended in a thrilling tie.

In Colombo, where cricketing fantasies come to life, the venue is set for this epic showdown. The likelihood of rain is expected to be 90% !!

The fans and players will both have to deal with a humid environment because a 90% humidity level is predicted. Additionally, the match dynamics might become even more complex due to a light breeze moving at 18 km/h.

The stakes are high and both teams are on the path in the upcoming match between Sri Lanka and Pakistan. The pitch will be important, potentially favouring Sri Lanka if it spins or Pakistan if it offers pace and swing. However, Pakistan stands out as the favourite to win when implementing overall quality and adaptability. They are a strong team because of their well-rounded players, which includes strong batting and bowling. Pakistan has a slight advantage, but the unpredictable nature of cricket adds excitement to this thrilling match, making it a must-watch.