Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi with Shoaib Akhtar during their Asia Cup match against Sri Lanka in Dambulla, on Tuesday. While Akhtar made a return to international cricket with three wickets, Afridi’s blistering 109 went in vain. (AP)

Dambulla: Defending champions Sri Lanka fought jangled nerves to override Shahid Afridi’s blistering century and record an exciting 16-run win over Pakistan in the first match of the Asia Cup cricket tournament here on Tuesday.

Chasing 243 at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, Pakistan seemed on course for a win as long as Afridi (109) was in the middle. But once Muttiah Muralidharan ended his scintillating 76-ball knock, Lasith Malinga (five for 34) mowed down the lower order and bundled Pakistan for 226 in 47 overs.

Earlier, Sri Lanka showed great character in recovering from a poor start to make a fighting 242 for nine, courtesy Angelo Mathews (55 not out), Mahela Jayawardene (54) and Kumar Sangakkara (42).

Afridi braved cramps and kept fighting but his batting colleagues completely let him down, something that could be gauged from the fact that the next best score was Umar Akmal’s 30.

Sitting pretty when Pakistan were staggering at 32 for four in the 14th over, Sri Lanka suddenly found themselves in dire straits when Afridi cut loose. Three Afridi-inspired partnerships — worth 73, 49 and 51 — saw Pakistan roar back into the game but his fall in the 41st over brought Lanka back into the game.

Hampered by a groin injury, the gallant Afridi struck as many as seven sixes and eight boundaries while producing his fifth ODI century. He dominated the Lankan attack until Muralidharan, battered and bruised by Afridi’s onslaught, had the last laugh.

Earlier, a two-wicket burst at the start of the innings by Malinga had put Sri Lanka firmly in control of the game until Afridi stepped on the gas and nearly turned the match on its head.

Rookies Shahzaib Hasan and Umar Amin who were blooded with a hope of preparing the Pakistan team for the 2011 World Cup, failed to live up to expectations. They struggled against Malinga and Nuwan Kulasekara, with neither having a clue against the seaming ball.

But Afridi made little of the pressure, smashing successive sixes of Farveez Maharoof and heaving the wily Murali for five sixes.

Malinga was the pick of the bowlers, overshadowing an encouraging performance by comeback man Shoaib Akhtar who bowled his heart out on an unresponsive wicket.

Playing his first international match in 13 months, the controversial Pakistan fast bowler scalped three wickets in four short spells to prove that he still has fire in his belly to bowl full tilt at accomplished batsmen.

(PTI)