Watch: Imam-ul-Haq dropped a sitter of a catch off Kusal Mendis in Pakistan’s second 2023 World Cup match against Sri Lanka today (October 10), costing vital runs as Mendis went on to make a half-century.
Pakistan were initially asked to bat first and faced Sri Lanka in Hyderabad. Shaheen Shah Afridi bowled an uncharacteristically wayward first pitch and Hassan Ali had the only breakthrough in the powerplay. The score was 34-1 after six, with Shaheen conceding 22 of them in the first three overs.
When he bowled for the fourth time, his early work was further frustrated by Imam’s mistakes. He sent a full ball to Mendis, who was number 18 at the time, but the No. 3 appeared to be tipped offside. But he cut it directly into the Imam, about his chest height.
The ball was flying fast and at an awkward height, but the Imam should have taken it. He grabbed the ball with both hands, but the ball went through his fingers and went backwards, forcing the batter to hit a single.
To make matters worse, Mendis confidently scored a half-century off 40 balls, seven fours and two sixes. Mendis reached the milestone in just his 25 balls in the tournament opener against South Africa in Sri Lanka, making him his second consecutive fifty in the tournament.
Sri Lanka reached 127-2 after the first 20 overs and looked well on their way to a big score.
Watch: Imam-ul-haq drops Kusal Mendis
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