Salman Agha's Century and Afridi's Onslaught Sink Sri Lanka as Pakistan Open Tri-Series with a Win

Pakistan began the tri-nation series in Rawalpindi with a victory, beating Sri Lanka by 37 runs in the first match. Riding on a brilliant century from Salman Agha, Pakistan batted first and posted 305 before being bowled out. In reply, Sri Lanka at one stage came very close to victory, but a late collapse saw them bowled out for 268.

Salman Agha was the life of Pakistan's innings. He scored 107 runs off 90 balls, with 10 fours and one six - the fourth century of his ODI career. His innings in the middle order laid the foundation for Pakistan's total of over three hundred, although the end of the innings was also disappointing for the hosts.

Apart from Salman, no other Pakistan batter even reached a fifty. Former captain Babar Azam was the second-highest scorer with 45. Saad Baig made 39 and Hasan Nawaz 37. Sri Lanka pacer Eshan Malinga took 4 wickets for 46 runs.

The closing stages of Pakistan's innings mirrored the end of Sri Lanka's. The team lost its last five wickets going from 279 to 305 - five batters departed for just 26 runs. As a result, despite the possibility of an even bigger total, Pakistan had to stop at 305.

Chasing the target, Sri Lanka did not start well. Losing 4 wickets for 91, the team was under pressure. But from there, Pawan Rathnayake and Janith Liyanage turned the match around. They put on a 119-run partnership for the fifth wicket, and Sri Lanka began to dream of victory.

Rathnayake scored 79 off 74 balls. The partnership was broken when he departed, offering up an easy catch. Liyanage, who made 60 off the same number of balls, 74, also fell as the sixth batter with the team on 253. That dismissal began Sri Lanka's collapse, which could not be stopped.

The most dramatic equation of the match came at the end. At one stage Sri Lanka needed 53 runs off 39 balls with 5 wickets in hand - the balance of probability was tilted in Sri Lanka's favour. But losing the remaining five wickets, the team could add only 15 more runs. They were thus forced to return from the brink of victory.

With the ball, Pakistan's best was Shaheen Shah Afridi. He took 3 wickets for 55 runs. The other three pacers - Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf and Fahim Ashraf - took two wickets each. It was this combined onslaught from the pace attack that made Sri Lanka's innings crumble at the end.

Overall, the match was full of ups and downs. Pakistan first built a big total but then lost wickets in clusters at the end; Sri Lanka, chasing, reached the doorstep of victory but could not save themselves in the end. The match therefore left a lesson for both teams - managing the final stages of an innings could make a big difference in the remaining matches of the series.

In the next match of the tri-nation series, Pakistan will play England on Tuesday. Although this victory in the first match will boost confidence, the hosts will have to think about the late batting collapse before taking the field against England. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, will have to recover from the disappointment of losing after coming so close to victory.