Asia Cup: “Special feeling to play two back-to-back finals”, says SL skipper Shanaka

Sri Lankan skipper Dasun Shanaka lauded batter Charith Asalanka for his match-winning knock and added that it is a special feeling to play back-to-back two finals

Colombo: Following the two-wicket win over Pakistan in the Asia Cup Super Four clash, Sri Lankan skipper Dasun Shanaka lauded batter Charith Asalanka for his match-winning knock and added that it is a special feeling to play back-to-back two finals.

Charith Asalanka sealed Sri Lanka’s date with India in the Asia Cup 2023 final after clinching a two-wicket victory in a nerve-cracking chase against Pakistan on Thursday at the R Premadasa Stadium.

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“We had the game under our control but we could have stayed till the end. We gave them a chance to come back but Charith held his nerves. We had the discussion going before the batting. The coaching staff and I spoke that the mistake was made in the India game. Wickets were given in the first 10 overs, today we did not want to make that mistake. Kusal and Sadeera are the best players of spin at the moment. Charith was great. The character of a great player. Special feeling to play back-to-back finals. Thanks to the crowd,” said Shanaka in the post-match presentation.

Opting to bat first, Pakistan lost Fakhar Zaman early in the 42-over-per-side match. But a 64-run stand for the second wicket between Abdullah Shafique (52 in 69 balls, with three fours and two sixes) and skipper Babar Azam (29 in 35 balls with three fours) put Pakistan back on track. Pakistan was rocked once again with some quick wickets before Mohammed Rizwan (86 in 73 balls with six fours and two sixes) and Iftikhar Ahmed (47 in 40 balls, with four boundaries and two sixes) helped Pakistan reached a competitive score of 252/7 in 42 overs.

Matheesha Pathirana (3/65) and Pramod Madushan (2/58) were impressive with the ball for Lanka.

In the chase of 253, contributions from the top order by Pathum Nissanka (29 in 44 balls with four boundaries), Kusal Mendis (91 in 87 balls with eight fours and a six), Sadeera Samarawickrama (48 in 51 balls with four boundaries) kept SL in contention until the game got tense in final few overs. However, Charith Asalanka (49* in 47 balls with three fours and a six) made sure SL finished on the winning side in a last-ball thriller by two wickets.

Iftikhar Ahmed (3/50) and Shaheen Afridi (2/52) were the pick of the bowlers for Pakistan, however, they failed to win the game for the team. Kusal took home the ‘Player of the Match’ award for his knock that helped SL set up the title clash with India on September 17 in Colombo.