PAK vs SL: Pakistan's Mohammad Rizwan shows spirit of a soldier to go bang bang vs Sri Lanka in record chase

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PAK vs SL: 'Cometh the hour, cometh the man' - Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan lived up to one of the most famous idioms in the sporting world by fighting like a true soldier on the turf of Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Tuesday, October 10.

Pakistan looked done and dusted when Sri Lanka piled up 344 runs after opting to batting first and then put further pressure by reducing them to 37/2 in 7.2 overs.

Number one ranked ODI batter Babar Azam and sixth ranked Imam-ul-Haq were both in the hut. On the crease was Abdullah Shafique, who was making his World Cup debut, when Rizwan strolled down in the middle with the usual confidence around him.

The two right-handers lead a magical recovery. They took slow but steady steps. They took a leaf out of the MS Dhoni school of learning which believes in building a foundation before launching an assault.

Pakistan were 138/2 at the end of 25 overs. Abdullah Shafique at that point was batting on 68 off 75 and Rizwan on 39 off 48. The former hit a maiden ODI hundred and departed for 113 off 103. Rizwan finished the game with his magnificent 131 not out off 121. Pakistan recorded the highest-ever run-chase in ODI World Cups with 10 balls and six wickets to spare!

PAK vs SL: Rizwan fights cramps to demolish Sri Lanka

The 23-year-old Abdullah Shafique found the perfect guide and mentor in Rizwan to hit a hundred which may just have benched Fakhar Zaman for the rest of the tournament. Once the youngster departed, gritty Rizwan shifted gears as smoothly as a Mercedes-Maybach.

Rizwan mixed aggression with a lot of sober caution, hammering Matheesha Pathirana, Dhananjaya de Silva and Dunith Wellalage for fours and sixes at regular intervals and creating a cluster of singles and doubles around those cracking hits.

All the while Rizwan battled first a back pain and then severe cramps which were felt even by the Sri Lankans. He came down the track to launch a six over long-off on the third ball of the 37th over from Dhananjaya. Rizwan fell down immediately and winced in tremendous pain. The Sri Lanka wicket-keeper could not help himself but offered to lend a helping hand.

It looked as if he would have to retire himself out but the God-loving cricketer stood up miraculously, completed his hundred ODI hundred and ran the winning single for his team.

His 131 not out off 103 is the second-highest by a Pakistan batter in ODI World Cups. He is now only the second Pakistan wicket-keeper after Sarfaraz Ahmed to score an ODI World Cup hundred.

"Always a proud moment for me whenever you perform for your country. I am speechless at this moment. I told Shafique to take it step by step. Sometimes it's cramps and sometimes I acting," Rizwan chuckled after winning the Player of the Match award.