Live blog - Sri Lanka and Pakistan in search of crucial Super Fours points

An unbeaten stand of 58 off 41 between Hussain Talat and Mohammad Nawaz saved Pakistan’s blushes as they stumbled their way through a middling chase to eventually come away with a five wicket win against Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi.

Having been set a target of 134, on a ground where the average winning total batting first was 183, Pakistan collapsed from 43 for no loss in five overs to 57 for 4 midway through the ninth. Not long after it was 80 for 5 in the 12th over, but with 53 more needed at run-a-ball Talat and Nawaz set about ensuring there would be no further scares.

Talat ended on 32 off 30, while Nawaz struck 38 off 24, while for Sri Lanka the wickets were spread between Maheesh Theekshana, Wanindu Hasaranga and Dushmantha Chameera.

Talat had earlier made his initial impact with the ball, in a double wicket 8th over that removed both Charith Asalanka and Dasun Shanaka. It had followed a powerplay that saw Shaheen Shah Afridi pick up two wickets in the powerplay - he would end with three in total - as Sri Lanka lost their top three for 54 in the first six overs.

From that point on Pakistan strangled the Lankan innings, as they only mustered 63 runs across the final 10 overs. Kamindu Mendis’ 50 off 44 was the lone bright spot in an otherwise forgettable innings.

The result means that Sri Lanka have lost two games, and are now dependent on Bangladesh beating India to keep their hopes of making the final alive.

The requirement at the death was 26 needed off 24. Charith Asalanka had just snuck in a 4-run 16th over, but all it takes is one big over the kill this chase. It's incredible that such an over was yet to arrive.

But with Hasaranga bowling his final over, Hussain Talat took him on. A powerful sweep brought a boundary first ball, then a couple of balls later was a glorious lofted drive over extra cover.

Twelve runs off the over, and whisper it, Pakistan are almost home. Just 14 needed off 18.

Sri Lanka know that wickets are all that will win this game for them, and so Asalanka turns to Hasaranga once more. But this time it's not followed by wickets, but boundaries.

Mohammad Nawaz, the spin-bowling allrounder who didn't get to bowl, manages to slap a full one through extra cover for four, and then follows it up with a perfectly placed sweep wide of short fine on the edge of the circle.

Then with Nuwan Thushara back into the attack next over, Nawaz greeted him with another crack through extra cover. Just like that the required rate has slunk to below run-a-ball.

How crucial will this prove? Theekshana tossed on up full from around the wicket to Hussain Talat as the lefty went for the big slog sweep and missed. It struck him on the back thigh, and Theekshana went straight up.

This was missing leg to the naked eye, and the umpire felt the same. Perhaps with the adrenaline and emotions running high Asalanka was convinced to take the review by Theekshana. But that means Sri Lanka will have to hope any marginal calls go there way from here on out.

Sri Lanka just won't go away. They needed a wicket badly with Hussain Talat and Mohammad Haris in the midst of an 18-ball 23-run stand, and so Asalanka turned to his strike bowler.

Dushmantha Chameera is usually reserved for the death overs, but desperate times etc., and so he was brought back in the 12th over. And the speedster takes just one delivery to deliver.

It was quick on a good length, nipping back and right through Haris who had left a massive gap between bat and pad looking to drive this on the up. This was 140 clicks into the top of middle stump. Pakistan lose their fifth.

After 10 overs, Sri Lanka in their innings were on 70 for 5. Pakistan are doing better, but only just - they've scored 71 runs and lost one less wicket.

Sri Lanka's innings though never really got going, with just 63 runs coming in the final 10 overs. Pakistan choked the middle overs, and then squeezed even further at the death. It was a monumental effort, but one that Sri Lanka will not only have to replicate but better.

Pakistan are strong favourites with the win predictor giving them a 79.5% chance of victory.

Pakistan were cruising in the powerplay, having struck 43 runs in the first five overs of the chase. But the four overs since have been anything but a cruise, with Pakistan losing four wickets for 17 runs.

Sri Lanka's spin twins have done the damage with Maheesh Theekshana picking up two, and Wanindu Hasaranga two. Hasaranga's latest victim was the skipper, Salman Ali Agha, who missed a tossed up googly and was trapped lbw.

The door has creaked open and a sliver of light is peeking through. Maheesh Theekshana is the man responsible for Sri Lanka's hopes briefly being lifted as he picked up two wickets in the final over of the powerplay.

He first got Farhan to chip one to mid-off, before Fakhar did similarly a couple of balls later. Except this was not straight at Hasaranga stationed at mid-off, no this was slicing low to his right. Hasaranga though somehow stretched a low right hand, and scooped this inches off the ground to cue wild celebrations - including Hasaranga returning the favour to Abrar and mimicking the Pakistan leggie's head nod celebration. Abrar to his credit has responded with a wry smile in the dugout.

And that celebration would get another outing the very next over as Hasaranga unleashed his googly to sneak through Saim Ayub's defences.

Nuwan Thushara hasn't found the type of swing that he's become accustomed to across this tournament, and this has meant lining him up has been easier than usual.

Sahibzada Farhan showcased this dynamic to perfection in the third over of this chase, swinging through the line and pumping a length ball over mid-on, before lofting one powerfully over long-off for a maximum. The best of the lot though was saved for a good length delivery outside off, which was masterfully timed through extra cover.

Nuwan Thushara gave away just four runs in the opening over as he found some of that trademark late shape - though not to the extent of the Pakistan seamers earlier on - before Dushmantha Chameera was equally tight with his lines and lengths.

Chameera's over ended with a charge down the ground and cross-swipe over a leaping midwicket for four, but a couple of balls prior to that a fiery bouncer had seen Fakhar Zaman cop a nasty blow on his helmet.

He was given the all clear to continue but not before a lengthy concussion check, during which the Pakistan physio Clifford Deacon signalled to the dugout that there's a chance there could be some late onset symptoms.

Shoot for the stars and at least you'll land on the moon, or so the saying goes. But for Sri Lanka, their high-flown aspirations barely cleared the stratosphere (to stay with the metaphor), as they were restricted to 133 for 8 by Pakistan in Abu Dhabi.

Even that required an intervention by Kamindu Mendis, whose 50 off 44 was the only thing keeping the innings from devolving into farcical territory. His partnerships, first with Wanindu Hasaranga - 22 off 28 - and then Chamika Karunaratne - 43 off 39 - dragged Sri Lanka's innings to respectability if not competitiveness, as he helped his side recover from being 58 for 5 midway through the eighth over.

Kamindu eventually fell, trapped lbw by a Shaheen Shah Afridi toe-crusher, a decision that needed to be overturned on review. It was Afridi's third wicket of the innings, as he finished with figures of 3 for 28; he had earlier picked up both openers in the powerplay.

Pakistan dominated all phases of the innings, with Sri Lanka paying the price for their reckless abandon, having been put on a good batting track. In the powerplay, despite scoring 53 runs, Sri Lanka lost each of their top three cheaply.

Then any notions of a middle overs consolidation were just as quickly snuffed out by Hussain Talat's double-wicket opening over, in which he got rid of a dangerous looking Charith Asalanka and Dasun Shanaka off consecutive deliveries.

This gave way to a period in which Sri Lanka's scoring slowed to a trickle, with Abrar Ahmed in particular proving tough to get away as he bowled his four overs on the trot, giving away just eight runs and picking up the wicket of Wanindu Hasaranga.

Between overs 6-16 Sri Lanka struck just 44 runs, and then in the death overs they struck a further 36. With 180 being targeted prior to the start of the game, Sri Lanka will know they’ve fallen well short of expectations.

Nothing has gone right for Sri Lanka this innings. They've lost wickets in the powerplay, they've lost wickets in the middle overs, and they've barely managed to keep their scoring rate above six. But in Kamindu Mendis they harbour hope of putting up a somewhat competitive total.

Heading into the death overs (16-20) Kamindu has struck a run-a-ball 34. By his side is Chamika Karunaratne, who's playing just his third T20I for Sri Lanka in three years. They will need him to keep supporting Kamindu as well as this is the last recognised pair.

Abrar Ahmed has ended his spell picking up just the solitary wicket but crucially giving away only eight runs. Sri Lanka's batters rarely looked to take him on, as highlighted by not a single boundary being scored off them, and the one time they did Wanindu Hasaranga fell.

It was a at a crucial time too, as Hasaranga and Kamindu Mendis had sought to take the game deep, and their stand of 22 off 28 was the second highest in the innings. But Hasaranga got a taste of his own medicine, missing a sweep on an Abrar googly as the stumps were rattled.

What's more? Abrar celebrated mimicking Hasaranga's trademark cellphone celebration.

Halfway through this innings and it's clear Sri Lanka have struggled with their execution, while Pakistan have perfected theirs. The pitch has had the ball coming on nicely, while the outfield has been lightning quick. There however was a lot of lateral movement on offer for the seamers early on.

Sri Lanka realised early that this was set to be a high-scoring surface, but in attempting to capitalise they have been reckless and lost five wickets at the halfway point. This has seen their scoring also slow to a crawl post-powerplay, with just 17 runs being scored between overs 6-10. That target score of 180 seems a long way off.

Sri Lanka are under the pump. Even after the powerplay Sri Lanka have continued to go for their shots; Charith Asalanka in fact had a close call, mistiming a slog sweep that fell just short of an onrushing deep midwicket.

But against Hussain Talat, he looked for a short-arm pull first up that ended being chipped gently down to deep square leg. Then the first ball Dasun Shanaka faced, a back of a length ball outside off, was nicked off to the keeper. It means Sri Lanka have lost half their side with just 58 on the board.

Sri Lanka struck 53 runs inside the powerplay, but Pakistan picked up the three wickets of Kusal Mendis, Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Perera to ensure that they were the happier of the two sides after the end of the first six overs.

Shaheen Shah Afridi has been the pick of the bowlers in the early sparring, with figures of 2 for 21 in three overs. Haris Rauf picked up Perera in his solitary over - though it went for 14, signifying Sri Lanka's aggressive approach.

Sri Lanka have indeed refused to be cowed by the loss of wickets and continued to go for their shots - four 4s and four 6s apiece in the powerplay.

Sri Lanka have lost both openers, and Afridi has accounted for both. Nissanka had just belted Afridi for thumping six down the ground, but in trying to go for a carbon copy repeat - this one nipping away off the seam - he could only manage a thick edge behind.

The early signs therefore are that winning the toss and bowling first has been the right call for Pakistan, with both Shaheen Shah Afridi and Faheem Ashraf getting the ball moving both ways - off the seam and in the air.

But Sri Lanka will be happy with their scoring rate. The early movement has been troubling, but the ball has come on to the bat well and Sri Lanka's batters have cleared the boundary several times already.

It's a glorious thing when a plan comes together, and Pakistan will be absolutely chuffed with how their early plan for Kusal Mendis turned out.

With a catching midwicket in place, Afridi swung one back into the right-hander, hoping he would clip this straight to the man in the ring - and Mendis duly obliged. Timed to perfection, but straight into the pouch.

And yet another first over wicket for Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Pakistan have won the toss and elected to bowl first against Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi. Both sides come into this game having lost their opening matches in the Super Fours.

Salman Ali Agha said his decision was simply based on changing things up. He also said there was a definite need to improve how they finish off their innings.

Charith Asalanka said he too would have liked to chase, but is happy to bat first as it looks to be a good pitch. He's happy with the cricket Sri Lanka is playing, but just wants to improve their performances at the death with both the bat and ball.

In terms of team news, Pakistan have named an unchanged XI. Sri Lanka have brought in Chamika Karunaratne - playing just his third T20I this year - and Maheesh Theekshana, for Dunith Wellalage and Kamil Mishara.

The pitch looks to be one that's good for batting, with the average first innings winning total in Abu Dhabi being 183. There should be some swing early on, though not much assistance for spin.

Pakistan XI: Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Nawaz, Salman Agha (capt.), Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Haris (wk), Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed

Sri Lanka XI: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Kusal Perera, Charith Asalanka (capt), Dasun Shanaka, Kamindu Mendis, Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Nuwan Thushara

Pakistan's defeat to India might in the end have been the latest in a growing catalogue of defeats to their historic - of not exactly immediate - rivals. But for the first 10 overs of that game, Pakistan gave their long-suffering fans a glimmer of hope. Much of that came from Sahibzada Farhan, whose 58 off 45 at the top of the order helped Pakistan put together their best start of the tournament - and India, in general.

Farhan believes that that performance, despite the result, is something to take confidence from, and build upon.

Charith Asalanka speaking ahead of the game said that Sri Lanka might be looking at making a couple of changes. While Matheesha Pathirana is unwell and has been ruled out of tonight’s game, there is the possibility of one or both of Maheesh Theekshana and Chamika Karunaratne coming in to the playing XI.

Sri Lanka have been quite set on a 7-4 combination for quite some time, but against Bangladesh their difficulties in fulfilling their fifth bowler quota, along with Dunith Wellalage being nominally a fourth bowling option, meant there was a distinct lack of wicket-taking options available to Asalanka.

The return of Theekshana to the side would no doubt help fix that, while adding Karunaratne in place of one of the batters - potentially Kamil Mishara, who has struggled to make quick starts - could strengthen the bowling, while only marginally denting their batting.