A day to forget for the Pakistani bowlers as Sri Lankan batters made merry during their ODI World Cup encounter in Hyderabad. The renowned Pakistani bowling attack faced a stern test from the formidable duo of Kusal Mendis and Sadeera Samarawickrama, with both delivering outstanding centuries against the Men in Green.
Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Shadab Khan, prominent names in the Pakistani bowling lineup, encountered a tough time as Sri Lanka amassed a formidable total of 344, marking the highest-ever score against Pakistan in a World Cup match. This performance raised concerns about the strength of the Pakistani bowling attack, especially with the highly anticipated game against India on the horizon.
Naseem Shah's injury proved to be a setback before the World Cup, but his replacement Hasan Ali, emerged as the standout performer with 4 wickets. However, even he conceded over 70 runs during his spell.
Notably, only Iftikhar Ahmed, bowling a mere 4 overs, managed to maintain an economy rate below 6 for Pakistan. Despite a commendable effort to regain control in the final 10 overs, Pakistan's earlier struggle allowed Sri Lanka to set an imposing total.
With the India match approaching rapidly and considering Ahmedabad's reputation as a batting-friendly pitch, Pakistan will understandably be concerned about their bowlers' challenging performance in the middle overs. Conversely, India will be hoping for a repeat of such a showing by the Pakistani bowlers.
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