The second ODI Pakistan vs Sri Lanka at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium is set to be an exciting match , with the home side securing a narrow six run victory in the series opener, Pakistan is eager to seal the three-match series, while a determined Sri Lanka is fighting to level the score and keep the contest alive.
Team Preview
Pakistan victory stemmed from a remarkable counter-attack following a top-order collapse. They were precariously placed at 95/4 before Salman Ali Agha played a career-defining innings, scoring a composed yet rapid 105 off 87 balls. Agha, along with Hussain Talat (62), engineered a game-saving 138-run partnership, proving Pakistan middle-order depth. With the ball, the new-ball attack struggled, but Haris Rauf was the match-winner, claiming 4/61 with a decisive spell that tore through Sri Lanka promising start and triggered a middle-order slump. Their strength is the ability to recover, but the consistency of the top order (including Babar Azam) is a major concern heading into the next match.
Sri Lanka performance was marked by the brilliance of their star all-rounder, Wanindu Hasaranga. With the ball, he was the primary threat, taking 3/54 to dismantle Pakistan’s top four. Chasing 300, Sri Lanka started strongly with an 85-run opening stand, but Rauf burst saw them lose wickets in clusters. Hasaranga then almost pulled off a miraculous win, smashing a valiant 59 off 52 balls lower down the order to take the game into the final over. For Sri Lanka to bounce back, their key batters, like Mendis and Asalanka, must convert starts into substantial scores.
Pitch Report
The Rawalpindi surface is generally batting friendly , though pacers might extract early movements, scores around 300-320 could be competitive total,dew expected to comes into play under lights, the team winning the toss might tempted Bowl first.
Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Head to Head Records in ODIs
Total Matches Played: 158
Pakistan won: 94
Sri Lanka won : 59
No Results: 4
Tied: 1
Probable playing XIs
Pakistan
Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi (c), Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah
Sri Lanka
Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Kamil Mishara, Charith Asalanka (c), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Janith Liyange, Kamindu Mendis,Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera , Asitha Fernando
Players to watch out
Saim Ayub
Salman Ali Agha
Haris Rauf
Pathum Nissanka
Wanindu Hasaranga
Kamindu Mendis
Prediction
Pakistan enters the 2nd ODI as the favourites to win and seal the series. However, Sri Lanka’s fightback in the first match, spearheaded by Hasaranga, shows they are more than capable of springing a surprise. If Sri Lanka’s top-order can bat deep, this series can very well be squared.