It was nothing but a bolt from the blue in the Rawalpindi sky, which perhaps has numbed the England team as Sri Lanka scripted history by chasing down 430 runs to defeat England by two wickets in a sensational ODI encounter at Rawalpindi on Thursday (October 22).
England posted a formidable 429/4 in 50 overs, powered by Harry Brook's magnificent 202 off 116 balls, the fastest double-century in men's ODI cricket. Will Jacks also contributed with an explosive innings as England finished with a record-breaking total.
Sri Lanka's chase began disastrously, with the team slipping to 24/2 inside five overs. However, Avishka Fernando's 97 off 83 balls and Pavan Rathnayake's outstanding 130 off 106 deliveries revived their hopes. Dasun Shanaka then produced
a breathtaking assault, scoring 97 from just 50 balls, before Janith Liyanage took charge in a tense finish. Sri Lanka reached 430/8 in 49.5 overs, completing the second-highest successful run chase in men's ODI history.
Rathnayake was the player of the match for his century, but Shanaka and Liyanage gave them the pivotal impetus in the middle and latter overs. It was carnage in Rawalpindi which shocked England.
How Shanaka and Janith Liyanage Changed the Match
Dasun Shanaka and Janith Liyanage transformed Sri Lanka's chase with two explosive innings that turned a daunting target into a historic victory. Pavan scored a century, but it was Liyanage and Shanaka, who turned things around for the Lankans.
Shanaka walked in after Pavan Rathnayake had established the foundation alongside Avishka Fernando. Rather than allow England to regain control, the Sri Lankan all-rounder attacked relentlessly, smashing 97 off just 50 deliveries, including eight sixes and six fours. His extraordinary strike rate of 194 kept Sri Lanka ahead of the required rate and brought the target within reach. Shanaka and Rathnayake added 133 runs in 79 deliveries, and 73 of those runs came off Shanaka's bat at a strike rate of 200.
A number may further help to understand - as when Shanaka came into bat, Sri Lanka needed 240 runs in 22.5 overs, at a required run rate of 10.51. When he was dismissed, they needed 67 runs off the last 6 overs, at a required run rate of 11.16 - thus depicting the job Shanaka did along with his partners at the middle.
Liyanage then shouldered the responsibility in the closing overs, finishing unbeaten on 61 off 27 balls, with seven fours and three sixes. His fearless approach proved decisive when England threatened a late comeback. Just after Shanaka fell, Liyanage understood the necessity to take over and smashed 30 runs in his next 10 balls, thus stitching a crucial partnership of 43 runs off just 18 with Sahan Arachchige - that gave him the foundation for the final three overs.
The 31-year-old kept on the fight with the lower order and then, in the final over, gave England the body blow. With eight runs needed in the final over, Josh Tongue claimed two successive wickets. But Liyanage held his nerve, smashing the winning six off the penultimate ball to seal an unforgettable triumph.
