Pakistan began their ODI tri-series with a 37-run win over Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi on Sunday, thanks to a comeback century from Salman Ali Agha and a pace attack that kept taking wickets when the visitors threatened to run down a big target. The result gives Shaheen Shah Afridi’s side a winning start to a seven-match event that also serves as preparation for the 2027 World Cup, a goal the captain stressed on the eve of the tournament.

Sri Lanka captain Kusal Mendis won the toss for the fourth time in a row and chose to field, and his bowlers made early inroads. Eshan Malinga had Babar Azam caught for 45 and removed another batter in the following over, and Pakistan slipped to 118 for 4 in the 22nd over. It was the kind of position that has undone Pakistan in this format before, with the top order gone and the innings in need of repair.

Agha provided it. He reached his half-century off 48 balls and then shared a 97-run stand with Hasan Nawaz, who made 37, before adding 64 with Arafat Minhas, who scored 18. He completed his fourth ODI hundred with two consecutive boundaries off Asitha Fernando and fell to the same bowler in the 47th over for 107 off 90 balls. Pakistan were bowled out for 305 in 49.5 overs, a total that owed almost everything to the middle-order rescue.

The century carried extra weight because of how Agha got there. He had scored just 28 runs across three ODI innings against Australia, and his path back into the team had been unusual. The Associated Press noted that he was among seven Pakistan players summoned home at the end of August during a turbulent tour of England, after leading the side in the first Test. He was then left out of the T20I team that beat Sri Lanka 2-1 earlier this month. Sunday’s innings, in his first match back, was an emphatic reply to questions about his form, and he was named Player of the Match.

Babar Azam’s 45, which came off 57 balls and included six fours, also marked a personal milestone. He became the fifth Pakistani to score 16,000 international runs across the three formats, joining Javed Miandad, Mohammad Yousuf, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Younis Khan. He reached the mark in 399 innings, the third fastest by a Pakistani, behind Yousuf, who took 388 innings, and Miandad, who took 398. His 74-run partnership with Agha steadied the innings after the early losses and set the platform for the later stands.

Sri Lanka’s chase began poorly and then recovered. Pakistan’s bowlers reduced them to 91 for 4 in the 20th over, and at that stage the target of 306 looked out of reach. But Pavan Rathnayake and Janith Liyanage rebuilt with a 119-run partnership, and both made half-centuries, which put the match back in the balance for a spell. Dasun Shanaka added a quick 28 off 18 balls before Shaheen had him caught by Babar. For a while, the visitors looked capable of an unlikely chase.

The pace attack closed the game out. Shaheen finished with 3 for 55, Naseem Shah took 2 for 43, Haris Rauf had 2 for 48 and Faheem Ashraf took 2 for 49, and Sri Lanka were all out for 268 in 48.1 overs. Rauf ran through the tail, and the way the wickets were shared across the four pacers showed the depth the selectors have been looking for in a format where Pakistan have sometimes leaned too heavily on one or two bowlers. The attack had trained under newly appointed bowling coach Shaun Tait in the build-up, and the early signs are encouraging, though one match is a small sample.

There were also reminders of the work still to do. Pakistan lost four wickets inside 22 overs, and the middle order was exposed before Agha rescued the innings. Against a team with a stronger new-ball attack, a similar collapse might not be recoverable. The bowlers will also want to tighten up in the middle overs, since the 119-run stand for the fifth wicket shows how quickly a chase can swing once the new ball loses its edge.

The next test comes on Tuesday, when Pakistan face England at the same venue. England are in Pakistan for their first ODI series in 21 years, with Harry Brook leading a squad that includes three uncapped players, while Jos Buttler is out through injury and Jofra Archer has been rested. England’s aggressive batting against Pakistan’s pace group will be the main attraction of the group stage. England and Sri Lanka meet on Thursday, and the tournament then moves to Lahore, with Pakistan playing England on October 25 and Sri Lanka on October 27 before the final on October 31 at Gaddafi Stadium.

For Pakistan, the opener offered three clear positives: an experienced batter back in form, a landmark for the team’s most prominent player, and a bowling attack that delivered under pressure. The question now is whether that balance can hold against England, and whether the top order can set up a platform before the middle order is called on again.

Compiled by the Weekly PK Sports Desk.