Sri Lanka were cruising.
Only 53 runs stood between them and a flying start in the One-day International tri-series opener against Pakistan after Pavan Rathnayake and Janith Liyanage’s 119-run stand.
The dew that made the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium outfield relentlessly slick had also deprived Pakistan’s pacers of the chance to extract reverse swing from the old ball.
Then came two moments of madness. Liyanage, who had looked composed throughout his innings, chipped Haris Rauf casually to Babar Azam at long-on before Dasun Shanaka, who had threatened to take the game away from Pakistan, heaved Shaheen Shah Afridi to the same fielder in the same position. In the space of four balls, Sri Lanka unravelled.
Naseem Shah then had Sachindu Colombage caught behind, Eshan Malinga was run out after a mix-up, and Haris cleaned up Asitha Fernando to seal a 37-run win for Pakistan, who had earlier posted 305 thanks to Salman Ali Agha’s third ODI century.
Salman celebrated his return to the Pakistan side after his unceremonious axing from the Test team two months ago with a composed 107 off 90 balls, including 10 fours and a six.
Pakistan’s innings, however, finished with a flourish from Sri Lanka’s bowlers, who conceded only 36 runs while taking five wickets in the last five overs. Eshan Malinga led the charge with figures of 4-46.
After openers Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub fell to Dilshan Madushanka, Babar Azam and Saad Baig steadied the innings with a 74-run partnership for the third wicket.
Malinga broke through by bouncing out Babar for 45 and Saad for 39, bringing Salman and Hasan Nawaz together.
The pair added 97, with Salman gradually increasing the tempo after initially settling in. He brought up his half-century in the 35th over, rotating the strike and punishing loose deliveries.
Hasan supplied the acceleration with two sixes off Sachindu Colombage, including a powerful slog sweep over cow corner.
Salman then took charge, pulling Dasun Shanaka through the leg side before launching Malinga’s slower delivery over long-off for six.
He reached three figures in the 45th over, finding the boundary through deep midwicket before edging a full delivery past the infield to third man.
Hasan fell for 37, caught by Pavan Rathnayake at short midwicket off Asitha Fernando, who also removed Arafat Minhas for 18.
Salman departed for 107 at 279-6, mistiming a lofted shot to Shanaka at long-on, and Sri Lanka seized control.
Malinga dismissed Faheem Ashraf and trapped Naseem Shah lbw in the next over, while accurate yorkers restricted Pakistan’s lower order. Haris was run out for a duck in the final over, leaving Pakistan all out for 305 in 49.5 overs.
Sri Lanka’s reply began poorly. Shaheen and Naseem made early inroads, reducing the visitors to 91-4 and leaving the chase in need of repair.
But as the ball and outfield grew wetter, Pakistan’s bowlers struggled to make the ball grip, allowing Rathnayake and Liyanage to rebuild with patience and calculated aggression.
Rathnayake initially played watchfully before cutting Arafat Minhas late through deep point and pulling Saim Ayub to the deep midwicket boundary.
He raised his maiden ODI half-century with a single off Arafat in the 31st over, then pulled two short balls from Shaheen over square leg in successive deliveries.
Liyanage offered stability at the other end, rotating the strike and punishing anything loose. He drove Naseem through the gap between mid-off and extra cover before dancing down the track to hammer Arafat straight down the ground.
Their running between the wickets kept the scoreboard moving as Pakistan struggled to find a breakthrough.
Faheem finally ended the partnership in the 38th over, when Rathnayake, having faced 74 deliveries, pushed a length ball straight to Salman at short cover.
But the wicket did little to ease Pakistan’s anxiety. Shanaka attacked immediately, pulling Faheem for four and driving through extra cover before launching Arafat over square leg for six.
Liyanage brought up his half-century with a fierce drive down the ground, and Sri Lanka remained firmly in the contest.
With 82 needed from the final 10 overs, the visitors had a genuine chance of pulling off the chase.
Then Liyanage’s loose chip and Shanaka’s reckless heave turned a promising pursuit into a collapse. From there, Pakistan needed only to keep their nerve.
Salman’s century had given Pakistan the platform; Malinga’s late burst had kept the total within reach. But Sri Lanka’s two costly shots ultimately decided the opener, handing Pakistan a winning start to the tri-series.