Haris Rauf didn’t have a great day in the ongoing match 8 of the ICC World Cup 2023 against Sri Lanka. But he made sure that he showcased his powers to the tailenders at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. Rauf bowled his best balls of the innings with which he removed Maheesh Theekshana. The pacer bowled a fiery delivery that was too good for someone like Theekshana, who bats down the order.
Rauf bowled a pinpoint yorker on the off stump. He racked up a seam-up delivery that was fast. Theekshana tried to make room to play it on the off-side. The ball sneaked under the bat and shattered the off stump. Rauf also picked up the wicket of Dunith Wellalage, but he leaked runs as well. He conceded 64 runs in the 10 overs that he bowled in the match.
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Sri Lanka lost Kusal Perera early, but after that, it was a run feast in Hyderabad. Pathum Nissanka (51) smashed a vital half-century, but the real blitz came from the bat of Kusal Mendis, who smashed a staggering century and took Pakistan bowlers to the cleaners. After him, Sadeera Samarawickrama blasted a century that put Sri Lanka on top.
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A vital contribution from Dhananjaya de Silva (25), Dasun Shanaka (12), and Dunith Wellalage (10) powered Sri Lanka to a total of 344 runs. For Pakistan, Hasan Ali was the pick of the bowlers as he bagged four wickets. Rauf picked up two wickets, whereas Shadab Khan and Shaheen Afridi bagged one wicket each.
It was overall a bad day for Pakistan bowlers, as they looked off-color. However, Rauf’s yorker to Theekshana was a glimpse of the brilliance that he is capable of.
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Rauf’s yorker to Theekshana was a reminder of his quality as a bowler. He is one of the most exciting fast bowlers in the world, and he is capable of producing match-winning spells. Pakistan will need Rauf to be at his best in the upcoming matches if they want to challenge for the World Cup title.
