Asia Cup 2022: Pakistan faced Sri Lanka in the last match of the Super 4s stage. The match was kind of a dress rehearsal for the Asia Cup finals that will be contested between both these teams on September 11, 2022. The Dasun Shanaka-led Sri Lankan team made the most of this opportunity and defeated Pakistan by a margin of 5 wickets. The Pakistan batsmen were very timid and their bowlers too looked far from their best. But amidst all these things happening, it was Mohammed Rizwan and Babar Azam who provided some comic relief to the viewers and the fans of the game. This was one of those instances where Babar had to remind his deputy and the entire team that he is the man in charge.
Rizwan out of his habit of appealing over-enthusiastically opted to go for the Decision Review System (DRS). What was even more bizarre is that umpire Anil Chaudhary considered Rizwan's appeal and went upstairs to get it reviewed. Babar Azam was left baffled by this as he was too late to react to this. This clip is getting circulated on social media and people have been reacting to it.
In the Super 4s round, Sri Lanka was chasing Pakistan's 121. In the 16th over Hasan Ali was bowling to the Lankan skipper Dasun Shanaka. The Sri Lankan batsman tried to play a shot but completely missed it as the ball traveled to Rizwan's gloves. The Pakistan wicketkeeper instantly started to appeal for a caught behind and even Hasan Ali was convinced that he had Shanaka in his trap. Initially, Anil Chaudhary turned the appeal down, but it was Rizwan's actions that left Babar baffled.
Sri Lanka will now Pakistan in the finals of this marquee event at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The Sri Lankan team is currently on a match-winning spree and they have defeated sides like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan while chasing. With the toss playing a major role, it will be interesting to see who claims the Asian glory.
