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Pakistan National Cricket Team vs Sri Lanka National Cricket Team Full Scorecard: In a pulsating match, Kamindu Mendis led Sri Lanka's determined fightback against Pakistan's potent pace attack to post 133/8 after Men in Green's early blow left the Tigers little with hope of a big total in their Asia Cup 2025 Super Four encounter at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. 

Pakistan's pace attack proved potent, with Shaheen Shah Afridi claiming three wickets while Haris Rauf and Hussain Talat chipped in with two wickets each.

Sent into bat, Sri Lanka made an unfortunate start, losing in-form Kusal Mendis in the second ball, and an over later Pathum Nissanka, their most consistent batter in the tournament, too walked back.

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Sri Lanka never really recovered from those early strikes. On a night that delivered plenty of seam movement to pacers, Shaheen Shah Afridi (3/28) made the first strike, prompting an uppish flick from Mendis that ended with Hussain Talat.

Nissanka bashed Afridi for a maximum but edged the very next ball to wicketkeeper Mohammad Haris as Sri Lanka slipped to 18 for two.

But skipper Charith Asalanka and Kusal Perera generated a mini recovery through a 25-run alliance for the third wicket.

Asalanka and Perera looked in good fettle as well, with both the batters finding a six each but the stand did not succeed further. Perera tried to slam pacer Haris Rauf over the circle, but Faheem Ashraf took a well-judged diving catch to break the partnership.

Sri Lanka finished the power play on a bittersweet note at 53 for three. But the harshness soon overrode as the Lankans lost Asalanka and Dasun Shanaka in consecutive balls in the eighth over.

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Pacer Talat lured Asalanka into a pull but there was no space in it as Rauf took a simple catch near square leg. In the very next ball, Shanaka edged Talat to Haris behind the wicket as Sri Lanka were pushed down to 58 for five.

Mendis (50, 44 balls), who played some really mouthwatering shots, tried to salvage something for the Lankans with a distinguished fifty and stitched 43 runs for the seventh wicket with Chamika Karunaratne to take them past 100.

But Mendis was essentially all alone in the venture, and the early damage done was too deep to paper over.

(With Agency Inputs)