RAWALPINDI: Salman Ali Agha announced his return to international cricket in emphatic fashion on Sunday, smashing a 90-ball 107 to power Pakistan to a 37-run victory over Sri Lanka in the opening match of the ODI tri-series at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
The 32-year-old’s magnificent hundred — his fourth in one-day internationals — could not have come at a better time for Pakistan, who had slipped to 118 for 4 after being put in to bat. Walking in under pressure, Agha counter-attacked with 10 fours and a six, lifting the hosts to 305 all out in 49.5 overs before the bowlers finished the job. It was the Salman Agha century Pakistan fans had been waiting for, and it set up a winning start against Sri Lanka in front of a delighted home crowd.
Chasing 306, Sri Lanka were bowled out for 268 in 48.1 overs despite a fighting 119-run fifth-wicket stand between Pavan Rathnayake (79) and Janith Liyanage (60). Captain Shaheen Shah Afridi led Pakistan’s attack with 3 for 55 and was superbly supported by Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf and Faheem Ashraf, who claimed two wickets apiece.
Salman Agha’s 107 Rescues Pakistan After Top-Order Wobble
Put in to bat after Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to field, Pakistan endured a nightmare start as Dilshan Madushanka removed both openers inside the first six overs. Saim Ayub fell for 7 and Fakhar Zaman for 16, leaving the hosts reeling at 32 for 2.
Babar Azam (45 off 57 balls) and debutant wicketkeeper Saad Baig (39 off 40) steadied the innings with a 74-run third-wicket partnership, but Eshan Malinga struck twice in quick succession to dismiss both set batters and leave Pakistan in trouble.
That brought Agha to the crease, and what followed was a masterclass in pacing an ODI innings. He reached his half-century off 48 balls, finding the gaps and rotating the strike cleverly, before opening his shoulders in the final overs. A 97-run fifth-wicket stand with Hasan Nawaz (37 off 49) pushed Pakistan past 200, and a brisk 64-run partnership with Arafat Minhas (18 off 15) took them beyond 250. Two consecutive boundaries off Asitha Fernando brought up his hundred before he finally fell to the same bowler in the 47th over.
Pakistan vs Sri Lanka ODI Tri-Series: Agha’s Record Fourth Century
The hundred was Agha’s fourth in 54 ODIs — and remarkably, all four have come while batting at No. 5 or lower. That makes the 32-year-old Pakistan’s most prolific century-maker from the middle and lower order in one-day internationals, moving him clear of Mohammad Yousuf, with whom he had previously shared the national record of three such hundreds.
Three of Agha’s four centuries have come specifically at No. 5, achieved in just 33 innings in the position — a conversion rate that puts him in elite company among the finest middle-order batters Pakistan has produced.
Malinga was Sri Lanka’s most successful bowler with 4 for 46 in 9.5 overs, while Fernando claimed three wickets and Madushanka took two.
How Pakistan Beat Sri Lanka by 37 Runs in Rawalpindi
Sri Lanka’s chase of 306 began poorly as Naseem Shah had Avishka Fernando caught for 5, and Faheem Ashraf removed captain Kusal Mendis for 18. Kamindu Mendis played a composed innings of 44 off 50 balls, but when Shaheen Afridi dismissed him, Sri Lanka slumped to 91 for 4 and the game looked gone.
Rathnayake and Liyanage had other ideas. The pair added 119 runs for the fifth wicket in a stand full of clean hitting — Rathnayake smashing six fours and two sixes in his 74-ball 79, and Liyanage striking five boundaries in his 74-ball 60. At 210 for 4, Sri Lanka were suddenly right back in the contest.
But Pakistan’s pacers held their nerve when it mattered. Faheem broke the partnership in the 38th over, Haris Rauf had Liyanage caught by Babar Azam in the deep in the 44th over, and Shaheen removed the dangerous Dasun Shanaka (28 off 18) two balls later. From 253 for 6, Sri Lanka lost their last five wickets for just 15 runs to be bowled out for 268.
Comeback Man: From T20I Axe to Player of the Match
The Player of the Match award capped a deeply personal triumph for Agha, whose last three months had been miserable. Sacked as Pakistan’s T20I captain and sent home midway through the Test tour of England in August, he rebuilt his game in domestic cricket before forcing his way back into the side.
“These times come on you and I thought that I will go back in domestic cricket and make things right with my performances,” Agha said after the match. “I was looking to hit the ball in the pockets to rotate the strike so that we can take our team beyond 300.”
What’s Next: Pakistan vs England on Tuesday in Rawalpindi
The victory gives Pakistan the perfect start to the tri-series, which is being viewed as important preparation for next year’s 50-over World Cup in southern Africa. Pakistan now face England in the second match on Tuesday, once again at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
For Agha, though, Sunday was about something simpler: answering his critics in the best way he knows. The Salman Agha century that sank Sri Lanka was a reminder of his class — and Pakistan will need plenty more of it in the matches to come.
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