Agha, Rauf upstage Hasaranga as Pakistan win thriller to go 1-0 up

Pakistan withstood a valiant all-round display from Wanindu Hasaranga to come away with a six-run victory in the first ODI against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi, and with it take a 1-0 lead in the three match series.

Chasing 300 to win, a target that would have constituted the second-highest successful chase at Rawalpindi, Sri Lanka were set up well courtesy an 80-run opening stand, but then lost wickets in clusters through the middle overs to fall behind the required rate. A few stands through the middle overs still provided Sri Lanka the control they might have been looking for but none of their batters were able to capitalise on their starts.

It meant Hasaranga was left batting with the tail during a 52-ball 59 to take the chase into the final overs, but with 21 needed from 10 he too would fall. Even then, two boundaries from Maheesh Theekshana in the final over gave Sri Lanka hope of an unlikely heist, but Hussain Talat held his nerve with the ball to see the win over the line.

This though was a hard fought win setup by Salman Agha's second ODI century, which helped Pakistan recover from a sluggish start to pose a competitive target. It was then brought home by what was an eventually stellar display from Pakistan's bowlers, but not one without some significant blemishes - the innings saw 26 wides and two dropped catches.

Igniting the game was fiery spell from Haris Rauf, who ended with figures of 4 for 61. Rauf's intervention came at a point when Sri Lanka were coasting along with Pathum Nissanka and Kamil Mishara, on ODI debut, in the midst of an 85-run opening stand off just 70 deliveries.

During that period, Sri Lanka were rollicking along - though much of that early brisk scoring was of Pakistan's own doing. Of the 26 wides across the Lankan innings, roughly 70% came inside the opening powerplay. That provided Sri Lanka's chase the impetus it needed, shortly after which both Nissanka and Mishara also began to find their range.

At that point it was hard to look past a comfortable Sri Lankan chase, but all that changed when Mishara spliced an attempted flat-batted slap straight to mid-off of Rauf. This triggered the first of two mini-collapses in the innings, as Kusal Mendis chopped on the very next delivery, before Nissanka edged behind in Haris' next over. From 85-0 Sri Lanka had stumbled to 90 for 3.