1st ODI: Hafeez's all-round show helps Pakistan bag six-wicket win over Sri Lanka

All-rounder scores his 10th ODI century after bagging four wickets as the visitors chase 256-run target

Muhammad Hafeez's century combined with four wickets helped Pakistan beat Sri Lanka in the first ODI of the five-match series by six wickets in Dambulla on Saturday. 

Sri Lanka set a 256-run target for the visitors where Pakistan won the toss and opted to bowl first.

Hafeez used the conditions and spin in the pitch to restrict Sri Lanka to 255-8. Rahat Ali chipped in with two wickets as well.

Dinesh Chandimal was the top-scorer with an unbeaten 65 runs for the hosts.

In reply, Pakistan were boosted by Hafeez's attacking batting who scored 103 off 95 balls to push his team past the finishing line.

Man of the match Muhammad Hafeez: I have to put that [scrutiny on his bowling action] aside and concentrate on what is in my hands. We wanted to have a good series in the ODIs. Wanted to continue the tempo from the Test team. It's a great game, always great to see Pakistan's young players do well [Shan Masood] played a very good innings to contribute to victory. We wanted to have a good start to the series. First the bowlers did a great job to restrict them to 250 and then we could attack. No pressure. Just played normally. It was a new plan, the green signal was given by the management. They gave me the licence to play aggressively and it worked.

Pakistan captain Azhar Ali: Great team performance, everyone played their part. Hafeez had an exceptional day. Played like a champion with ball and bat. Restricting Sri Lanka to 250 was great. Last 10 overs was great. Hafeez got crucial wickets at crucial times. All the bowlers were disciplined and I think it was backed up by the batsman very well. Everyone was positive and performed their roles. Nowadays you have to pick up wickets to stop runs. That message is clear. Whenever the bowlers feel they can pick wickets, they should. Yasir is very confident. Hit for a few boundaries early on, but he's got great temperament. Sri Lanka can come back strong and we need to be mindful of that. Really important with the team is in a rebuilding phase you need experience to guide the youngsters.

And this is how Shoaib Malik reached his half-century and bagged the victory for his team.







Pakistan 259-4 (45.2 overs)

SIX! Shoaib Malik goes big over long-off and that is the match for Pakistan.

Dilshan.



Pakistan 253-4 (44 overs)

Just a single off the over.

Siriwardana.



Pakistan 252-4 (44 overs)

Shoaib Malik goes big but is not able to clear the fence. Gets three on the first ball.

Dilshan.



Pakistan 245-4 (43 overs)

Leggie Prasanna starts his over with a FOUR by Shoaib Malik.





Pakistan 238-4 (42 overs)

Four runs of Tilakaratne Dilshan's over.



Pakistan 234-4 (41 overs)

FOUR! Shoaib Malik goes over mid-on.



FOUR! Short and Rizwan rolls his hands over it for a boundary.

Malinga.



Pakistan 225-4 (40 overs)

FOUR! Shoaib Malik hits it over mid-on.



Leggie Prasanna is back.



Pakistan 218-4 (39 overs)

FOUR! Slow delivery and Rizwan just manages to bring him bat down in time. It goes straight and beats the fielder to the boundary.



Malinga with him yorkers.



Pakistan 213-4 (38 overs)

Just three runs off his over.

Thisara Perera in to bowl.



Pakistan 210-4 (37 overs)

FOUR! Midwicket this time by Shoaib Malik. Good over for Pakistan.



SIX! Shoaib Malik goes over the long-off boundary.

Leggie Prasanna is on!



Pakistan 198-4 (36 overs)

OUT! A loose shot from Hafeez. He comes down the pitch and pops it a for simple catch for the bowler. Muhammad Rizwan is in for Pakistan.



FOUR and TON! Deep cover it is and his 10th century is up. Hafeez has been the man for Pakistan today!



Thisara Perera.



Pakistan 193-3 (35 overs)

FOUR! Hafeez goes towards extra cover. He moves on to 99*.



Malinga is in to bowl. Hafeez nearing his fourth ton against Sri Lanka.



Pakistan 185-3 (34 overs)

SIX! Hafeez goes big after coming down the track. He moves on to 95.



Dilshan.



Pakistan 177-3 (33 overs)

FOUR! Hafeez flicks a full toss towards midwicket.

Malinga is brought on to provide the breakthrough!



Pakistan 169-3 (32 overs)

FOUR! Hafeez goes for the long on boundary.



Dilshan in for his fifth on the trot.



Pakistan 163-3 (31 overs)

FOUR! Muhammad Hafeez goes behind third man.



Milinda Siriwardana is brought on.



Pakistan 154-3 (30 overs)

Just five off his over.

Dilshan in for his fourth.



Pakistan 149-3 (29 overs)

SIXx2! Muhammad Hafeez is turning it on. Down the ground and then over midwicket.

First.



Second.





Pakistan 135-3 (28 overs)

Dilshan in for his third. Only a single off his over.



Pakistan 134-3 (27 overs)

SIX! Muhammad Hafeez is on song today. Goes big off leggie Prasanna.





Pakistan 125-3 (26 overs)

LBW! Babar Azam caught in front of his stumps in an attempt to sweep on 25. Shoaib Malik is in.



Dilshan for second.



Pakistan 122-2 (25 overs)

Seven runs off Prasanna's over courtesy a FOUR by Muhammad Hafeez.





Pakistan 115-2 (24 overs)

Five runs off Tilakaratne Dilshan's first over.



Pakistan 110-2 (23 overs)

FOUR by Babar Azam off Prasanna, the leggie.



Pakistan 103-2 (22 overs)

Thisara Perera is back. Three runs off his over.



Pakistan 100-2 (21 overs)

FOUR! Deep point by Babar Azam.



Seekkuge Prasanna.



Pakistan 94-2 (20 overs)

Malinga goes for six runs in his over.



Pakistan 88-2 (19 overs)

Goes for three runs in his over.

Leg-spinner Seekkuge Prasanna is brought on.



Pakistan 85-2 (18 overs)

FOUR! Width provided by Malinga after a five-dot-ball-over and Hafeez capitalises. Goes over the cover boundary.



Lasith Malinga is back!



Pakistan 81-2 (17 overs)

FOUR! Babar Azam pulls a slow and short ball towards square leg.



Suranga Lakmal bowls his fifth over.



Pakistan 74-2 (16 overs)

Four runs off the over.

Angelo Mathews bowls his fifth over. No spin from Sri Lanka at the moment!



Pakistan 70-2 (15 overs)

FOUR! Hafeez cuts it past point on the last ball.



Strikes on first ball! Shehzad swings wildly on a length ball and edges it to the keeper. He departs for 29. Babar Azam walks in for Pakistan.



Suranga Lakmal is back.



Pakistan 65-1  (14 overs)

FOUR! Hafeez goes over the top of extra cover.



Angelo Mathews.



Pakistan 59-1  (13 overs)

Thisara Perera goes for five runs in his over.

And when the match gets boring!
https://twitter.com/cricingif/status/619803075377664000



Pakistan 54-1  (12 overs)

Just two runs off his over.

Angelo Mathews into his third over.



Pakistan 52-1  (11 overs)

Just a single off the over.

Thisara Perera.



Pakistan 51-1  (10 overs)

FOUR! Cracked past point for a boundary by Hafeez on the last ball of the over.



CAUGHT BEHIND! Azhar Ali walks back with an under-edge to the keeper off Angleo Mathews. Sri Lankan captain had brought the keeper up because Azhar was walking on him down the pitch and the trick worked. Muhammad Hafeez walks in!





Pakistan 47-0  (9 overs)

Three runs off the over.

Thisara Perera.



Pakistan 44-0  (8 overs)

FOUR! Inside edge and Shehzad survives a scare. The ball runs to the fine leg boundary.

Angelo Mathews, the captain, is himself in to bowl.



Pakistan 37-0  (7 overs)

FOUR! Ahmed Shehzad hammers a short ball past point.



Thisara Perera bowls his second.



Pakistan 29-0  (6 overs)

FOUR! Azhar Ali goes for the long leg boundary as Lasith Malinga dives unsuccessfully.



Suranga Lakmal.



Pakistan 24-0  (5 overs)

Thisara Perera also gave away a boundary in the fifth over as Azhar Ali clipped it to the midwicket boundary.



FOUR! Ahmed Shehzad goes after Suranga Lakmal in the fourth over.

Malinga was struck for two FOURS in the third over by Azhar Ali and then Ahmed Shehzad.



Azhar Ali and Ahmed Shehzad have opened the innings for Pakistan and they are slowly approaching the target with calculated risks.



Sri Lanka 255-8  (50 overs)

FOUR! Attempted yorker goes full and Chandimal plays it past the short fine leg fielder.



Anwar Ali in for the final over. God save the Queen Pakistan!



Sri Lanka 245-8  (49 overs)

OUT! Straight into the hands of the cover fielder. Rahat is happy. Wish he had taken THAT catch as well. Oh sorry, focus on THIS match!



OUT! Rizwan Ahmed again with a beautiful diving catch. The breeze took it away from him but he adjusted dived forward as Rahat stood and admired the brilliance. He might be reminiscing some World Cup memories. Oh sorry, let's not talk about that!



Rahat Ali in for the penultimate over.



Sri Lanka 241-6  (48 overs)

SIX! Short and on off-side. Siriwardana does a Jayasuriya.



Muhammad Irfan for his last over.



Sri Lanka 231-6  (47 overs)

FOUR! Muhammad Rizwan with an un-Pakistanly effort. He dives and takes a one-hand catch on the boundary but lands and slips towards the boundary and touches the ropes.



Shoaib Malik.



Sri Lanka 223-6  (46 overs)

FOUR! Inside out, over the top of the mid-off fielder. Clinical from Siriwardana!



Muhammad Irfan into his ninth over.



Sri Lanka 216-6  (45 overs)

Six runs off the over.

Shoaib Malik.



Sri Lanka 210-6  (44 overs)

FOUR! Pulled by Chandimal towards deep square leg.



Muhammad Irfan.



Sri Lanka 204-6  (43 overs)

WICKET ON THE LAST BALL! Muhammad Hafeez has been exceptional for Pakistan today. Thisara Perera (1) edges it to the first slip who takes a good low catch. Hafeez ends with 4-41 in his 10 overs.



Muhammad Hafeez in for his last over.



Sri Lanka 200-5  (42 overs)

OUT! Finally Yasir strikes for Pakistan. Angleo Mathews tries to slog sweep it, instead skies it high for a Babar Azam catch. Skipper departs for a useful 38.



Yasir Shah is on!



Sri Lanka 199-4  (41 overs)

FOUR! Rahat tries a cutter but missed the line. Chandimal guides the wide ball on leg fine and beats Muhammad Irfan who tries to foot it from clearing the boundary.



Rahat Ali is brought back into the attack.



Sri Lanka 192-4  (40 overs)

Five runs off his over.

Yasir Shah again!



Sri Lanka 187-4  (39 overs)

FOUR! Mathews relying on glances at the moment. Another one towards fine leg, beats long leg.



Muhammad Hafeez bowls his ninth.



Sri Lanka 180-4  (38 overs)

FOUR! Spun wildly, edged and the ball races to the third man boundary beating Hafeez at the short third man position. I wonder what do the fielders get from diving after the ball has passed them? Psychological satisfaction?



Yasir Shah attacking or being attacked? SIX by Chandimal over midwicket. Yasir is maintaining a good economy but he needs to cherry-top it with a few scalps.



Sri Lanka 169-4  (37 overs)

FOUR! Angelo Mathews goes fine on the leg side.



Shoaib Malik into his third over.



Sri Lanka 161-4  (36 overs)

FOUR BYES! The ball misses everyone. Batsman, wicketkeeper and slip all see it jump off the pitch and run to the boundary.



Yasir Shah into his seventh over without a wicket! He needs to find a few to prolong his stay in the ODI side.



Sri Lanka 156-4  (35 overs)

FOUR! Sweeped by Chandimal towards the long leg boundary.



Shoaib Malik in for his second over.



Sri Lanka 146-4  (34 overs)

Just two runs off his over.

Yasir Shah is back!



Sri Lanka 144-4  (33 overs)

Three runs off his over.

Shoaib Malik is introduced into the attack.



Sri Lanka 141-4  (32 overs)

FOUR! Angelo Mathews goes straight. There was a cry of catch it but it flew past the mid-off fielder.



Rahat Ali into his sixth over.



Sri Lanka 135-4  (31 overs)

FOUR! Dinesh Chandimal guides it to the long leg boundary. Drinks!



Muhammad Hafeez continues into eighth over.



Sri Lanka 128-4  (30 overs)

FOUR! Angelo Mathews goes straight down the ground past the mid-off fielder.



Rahat Ali is brought back.



Sri Lanka 123-4  (29 overs)

Just a single off Muhammad Hafeez's over.



Sri Lanka 122-4  (28 overs)

Just one run off the over.

Muhammad Irfan.



Sri Lanka 120-4  (27 overs)

BOWLED! The danger-man Tilakaratne Dilshan is cleaned up. He goes back tries to cut a fuller delivery and misses it. Off-stump dislodged!



Muhammad Hafeez bowls.



Sri Lanka 118-3  (26 overs)

Muhammad Irfan is back in the attack. Four runs off the over.

Sri Lanka 114-3  (25 overs)

Anwar Ali goes for two in his over.



Sri Lanka 112-3  (24 overs)

STUMPED! Upul Tharanga comes down the line and tries to adjust with a block but the ball spins away from and him and Sarfraz removes the bails as cleanly as possible.

Hafeez into his fifth over.





Sri Lanka 111-2  (23 overs)

Three runs off Anwar Ali's fifth over.



Sri Lanka 108-2  (22 overs)

FOUR! Tharanga thrives against Yasir.

Yasir Shah.



Sri Lanka 100-2  (21 overs)

Anwar Ali continues. Goes for four runs in his over.

This is how Hafeez got Kusal Perera out!

https://twitter.com/cricingif/status/619737632692547584



Sri Lanka 96-2  (20 overs)

Yasir Shah goes for two runs.



Sri Lanka 94-2  (19 overs)

Anwar Ali bowls his third over for three runs as well.

Sri Lanka 91-2  (18 overs)

Yasir Shah goes for three runs in his third over.



Sri Lanka 88-2  (17 overs)

Anwar strikes! Lahir Thirimanne is gone for 23. Caught behind. Upul Tharanga is the new man in.



Anwar Ali is brought back after only one over.



Sri Lanka 81-1  (16 overs)

Drinks break!

FOURx2! Thirimanne and Dilshan welcome Yasir to the ODIs.

Yasir Shah bowls his second over.



Sri Lanka 71-1  (15 overs)

SIX! Thirimanne goes on one knee and smashes it over long leg.

Muhammad Hafeez continues.



Sri Lanka 62-1  (14 overs)

Yasir Shah introduced into the attack. Goes for only two in the over.



Sri Lanka 60-1  (13 overs)

Muhammad Hafeez gives away four runs in the over.

Sri Lanka 56-1  (12 overs)

Muhammad Irfan bowls his fifth over.

Sri Lanka 54-1  (11 overs)

FOUR! Thirimanne give the deep third man a chase and wins the race.

Muhammad Hafeez has come on to bowl.

Sri Lanka 48-1  (10 overs)

Muhammad Irfan bowls his fourth. Goes for four runs in the over.



Sri Lanka 44-1  (9 overs)

Muhammad Hafeez is introduced into the attack and he manages a wicket on the third ball. He was getting spin and bounce from the word go and Kusal Perera has edged it to the slip fielder, Muhammad Rizwan on 26. End the over as a wicket-maiden. Lahiru Thirimanne is in to join Dilshan.



Sri Lanka 44-0  (8 overs)

FOURx2! Perera is fed twice on the off and on the bounce. He jumps over it and bags boundaries.

Rahat Ali comes in to bowl his fourth over.



Sri Lanka 35-0  (7 overs)

Ten runs of the over.

FOURx2! Kusal Perera and Tilakaratne Dilshan punish Anwar Ali in his very first over.



Sri Lanka 25-0  (6 overs)

Rahat Ali goes for two seven runs.



Sri Lanka 18-0  (5 overs)

Muhammad Irfan goes for two runs.



Sri Lanka 16-0  (4 overs)

FOUR! Over point by Kusal Perera. Yasir Shah dives but fails to stop it.



Sri Lanka 11-0  (3 overs)

OUT! but wait it is a no-ball. Irfan has overstepped and Tilakaratne Dilshan survives.



Sri Lanka 4-0  (2 overs)

Rahat Ali is in to share the new ball with Irfan. He goes for two in his over.



Sri Lanka 2-0  (1 overs)

Just two runs of the first over.

Muhammad Irfan will open the bowling for Pakistan. He is back in the team after nearly three months due an injury which forced him out of the World Cup as well. Tilakaratne Dilshan and Kusal Perera are opening the batting for Sri Lanka.



Toss

Pakistan have won the toss and they have decided to ball first in this day-time match in Dambulla.



Sri Lanka 223-6  (46 overs)

FOUR! Inside out, over the top of the mid-off fielder. Clinical from Siriwardana!

Muhammad Irfan into his ninth over.