146/8 (12.0)
CR : 12.17
160/6 (12.0)
CR : 13.33
Sri Lanka won by 14 runs 🏆
Player of the Match
Wanindu Hasaranga
4/351(1)
Over 12
Pakistan 146/8
Mohammad Wasim Jnr7(8)
Naseem Shah1(1)
Eshan Malinga1-27(2.0)
SL won by 14 runs
11:47 PM IST and Local Time: Sri Lanka win by 14 runs! Sri Lanka bounce back in fine fashion. They batted and bowled Pakistan out of the game. The series is levelled at 1-1. Sri Lanka have waited for this moment for 13.5 years. They beat Pakistan in a home T20I after 2012 for the first time.
First of all, we must applaud the ground staff. There was a great chance the game would not take place with all that heavy rain. However, the ground staff worked hard and made sure we got at least a 12-over game. Pakistan won the toss and elected to field first. Kamil Mishara got off to a flier. He took down the new ball bowlers. However, both bowlers struck back to remove the openers in the first two overs itself with the score standing at 22/2 after 2 overs.
Mishara was dismissed for 20(8). Pakistan continued to take regular wickets. However, that didn't prove effective as each of the batters from Sri Lanka played fantastic cameos. Kusal Mendis (30 off 16), Dhananjaya de Silva (22 off 15), Charith Asalanka (21 off 13). The real deal though was right at the end. Dasun Shanaka (34 off 9) and Janith Liyanage (22* off 8) propelled the home side to an over par 160/6. There was nothing that pretty in the Pakistan bowling card. Everyone got some beating. Wasim Jr. though took 3 wickets but gave 50 runs in his 3 overs.
The chase did not start on the best note for Pakistan. They lost Sahibzada Farhan early. Captain Salman Ali Agha though came out with some serious intent. He smashed every bowler left right and center. Bagged back-to-back 22 run overs. He was eventually dismissed for 45 off 12 balls. In his short but extremely effective stay, he propelled Pakistan much ahead of the required rate.
Pakistan lost a few wickets in a cluster. From 60/1 they slipped to 67/4. That is when Mohammad Nawaz and debutant Khawaja Nafay brought Pakistan back into the game with some fine hits. They notched up a 49 runs stand in 26 balls only. The match was shifting in favor of Pakistan.
That is when Hasaranga came into the attack and struck twice in the over. He removed Nafay and Shadab Khan in a span of four balls. Nawaz got some more hits under his belt, but he too was dismissed at the wrong time by Matheesha Pathirana. It came down to 20 runs off the last over. Eshan Malinga delivered a superb over to eke out a massive win for his side. The pick of the bowlers for the Sri Lankan side were Wanindu Hasaranga (4-35) and Matheesha Pathirana (2-34). The fielders supported the bowlers superbly and the home side picked up a much-deserved win.
First of all, we must applaud the ground staff. There was a great chance the game would not take place with all that heavy rain. However, the ground staff worked hard and made sure we got at least a 12-over game. Pakistan won the toss and elected to field first. Kamil Mishara got off to a flier. He took down the new ball bowlers. However, both bowlers struck back to remove the openers in the first two overs itself with the score standing at 22/2 after 2 overs.
Mishara was dismissed for 20(8). Pakistan continued to take regular wickets. However, that didn't prove effective as each of the batters from Sri Lanka played fantastic cameos. Kusal Mendis (30 off 16), Dhananjaya de Silva (22 off 15), Charith Asalanka (21 off 13). The real deal though was right at the end. Dasun Shanaka (34 off 9) and Janith Liyanage (22* off 8) propelled the home side to an over par 160/6. There was nothing that pretty in the Pakistan bowling card. Everyone got some beating. Wasim Jr. though took 3 wickets but gave 50 runs in his 3 overs.
The chase did not start on the best note for Pakistan. They lost Sahibzada Farhan early. Captain Salman Ali Agha though came out with some serious intent. He smashed every bowler left right and center. Bagged back-to-back 22 run overs. He was eventually dismissed for 45 off 12 balls. In his short but extremely effective stay, he propelled Pakistan much ahead of the required rate.
Pakistan lost a few wickets in a cluster. From 60/1 they slipped to 67/4. That is when Mohammad Nawaz and debutant Khawaja Nafay brought Pakistan back into the game with some fine hits. They notched up a 49 runs stand in 26 balls only. The match was shifting in favor of Pakistan.
That is when Hasaranga came into the attack and struck twice in the over. He removed Nafay and Shadab Khan in a span of four balls. Nawaz got some more hits under his belt, but he too was dismissed at the wrong time by Matheesha Pathirana. It came down to 20 runs off the last over. Eshan Malinga delivered a superb over to eke out a massive win for his side. The pick of the bowlers for the Sri Lankan side were Wanindu Hasaranga (4-35) and Matheesha Pathirana (2-34). The fielders supported the bowlers superbly and the home side picked up a much-deserved win.
Time for the Post-Match Presentations...
Player of the Match: Wanindu Hasaranga
Player of the Series: Wanindu Hasaranga
Wanindu Hasaranga (Player of the Match & Series): "It wasn’t easy at all. Yes, 160 was a good score on the board, but we still knew we had to bowl really well to defend it. They batted well, especially their captain, and they kept putting us under pressure. But I thought our bowlers did a really good job with the new ball and stuck to the plans.
When it came to my bowling, the idea was definitely to take some pace off. While we were batting, I could see how tough it was for batters to score when the ball was slower and held a bit in the pitch. Our batters managed it well, but I felt that if I bowled slower and made them generate the pace, it would be difficult for them, and that’s what I tried to do.
As a series, it hasn’t been perfect with one rain-affected game, but looking ahead, we’ve got England coming up and then the World Cup. Personally, I’m feeling good, my fitness is in a good place, and the rest of the players are feeling confident as well. We still have three more games before the World Cup, so the focus is to do our best in those and be fully ready when the tournament starts."
When it came to my bowling, the idea was definitely to take some pace off. While we were batting, I could see how tough it was for batters to score when the ball was slower and held a bit in the pitch. Our batters managed it well, but I felt that if I bowled slower and made them generate the pace, it would be difficult for them, and that’s what I tried to do.
As a series, it hasn’t been perfect with one rain-affected game, but looking ahead, we’ve got England coming up and then the World Cup. Personally, I’m feeling good, my fitness is in a good place, and the rest of the players are feeling confident as well. We still have three more games before the World Cup, so the focus is to do our best in those and be fully ready when the tournament starts."
Salman Ali Agha (Pakistan Captain): "(Initial thoughts on the match) Yeah it was a great game. With the ball we gave too many runs. With the bat we were very good. Touch and go in the end.
(Plans against Shanaka in the last over) We tried to go wide in that last over. Just the execution was off. We got Shanaka like that in the last game but today he bounced back against us. He is a champion player.
(His own fiery knock) Yeah if I had batted for 3-4 more overs, the match would have been closer. However, that is what cricket is all about. Can be anyone's day.
(Areas of improvement) We need to work on our death bowling. We have not really improved from where we were 6-7 months ago. We are working hard and hopefully the results will show out there."
(Plans against Shanaka in the last over) We tried to go wide in that last over. Just the execution was off. We got Shanaka like that in the last game but today he bounced back against us. He is a champion player.
(His own fiery knock) Yeah if I had batted for 3-4 more overs, the match would have been closer. However, that is what cricket is all about. Can be anyone's day.
(Areas of improvement) We need to work on our death bowling. We have not really improved from where we were 6-7 months ago. We are working hard and hopefully the results will show out there."
Dasun Shanaka (Sri Lanka Captain): "It’s a great win. First of all, I must thank the ground staff for the hard work they’ve put in over the last few days to get this ground ready. Also, a big thank you to the crowd who stayed here expecting a game, even with the rain around. I’m very grateful to everyone who was here today.
When we batted, we didn’t really have a fixed score in mind. Initially, the plan was to assess the pitch. Our batters read the surface really well, and what we wanted early on was stability at the top. They provided that, and everyone played their part, which was very pleasing to see.
Personally, I’m really happy with my performance today. I was glad to get a few deliveries and spend some time at the crease. If I can get going like that, it gives confidence to every team member to come in and play their role. I was feeling confident, even in practice over the last few days, I was hitting the ball well, so it felt good to go out there and express myself.
On this surface, the spinners were very important, especially Wanindu. He’s a master of this game and knows how to handle situations like these. After watching how difficult it was for the batters, we felt that bowling in good areas and taking the pace off would really help. I thought everyone bowled well - Dhananjaya de Silva, Matheesha Pathirana, and then Malinga at the end. Overall, it was a complete team effort, and I’m really happy with the result.
When we batted, we didn’t really have a fixed score in mind. Initially, the plan was to assess the pitch. Our batters read the surface really well, and what we wanted early on was stability at the top. They provided that, and everyone played their part, which was very pleasing to see.
Personally, I’m really happy with my performance today. I was glad to get a few deliveries and spend some time at the crease. If I can get going like that, it gives confidence to every team member to come in and play their role. I was feeling confident, even in practice over the last few days, I was hitting the ball well, so it felt good to go out there and express myself.
On this surface, the spinners were very important, especially Wanindu. He’s a master of this game and knows how to handle situations like these. After watching how difficult it was for the batters, we felt that bowling in good areas and taking the pace off would really help. I thought everyone bowled well - Dhananjaya de Silva, Matheesha Pathirana, and then Malinga at the end. Overall, it was a complete team effort, and I’m really happy with the result.
It has been a series scarred by the weather. Despite of that, the players have treated us to some fantastic cricket whenever possible. Pakistan and Sri Lanka always compete against each other with fire in the eyes and warmth in the heart. That is what makes this series all that more special.
Pakistan won the first match comfortably. The second game was washed out unfortunately. The third game had a little bit of both. Rain and fabulous cricket as Sri Lanka are eventual winners of this contest. Salman Ali Agha and Dasun Shanaka pose with the trophy as the series is shared 1-1!
From here, Sri Lanka will prep themselves for another short home series against England. It will start on the 22nd of January. 3 ODIs and 3 T20Is. Pakistan on the other hand will in all likeliness go home and take a short break as they have no international series lined up before the World Cup. They would like to rejuvenate themselves and come back to these very shores to fight for the big prize.
On this note, I, Manan Mehta would like to sign off on behalf of my colleagues Dev Rajawat and Manish Bishnoi.
Pakistan won the first match comfortably. The second game was washed out unfortunately. The third game had a little bit of both. Rain and fabulous cricket as Sri Lanka are eventual winners of this contest. Salman Ali Agha and Dasun Shanaka pose with the trophy as the series is shared 1-1!
From here, Sri Lanka will prep themselves for another short home series against England. It will start on the 22nd of January. 3 ODIs and 3 T20Is. Pakistan on the other hand will in all likeliness go home and take a short break as they have no international series lined up before the World Cup. They would like to rejuvenate themselves and come back to these very shores to fight for the big prize.
On this note, I, Manan Mehta would like to sign off on behalf of my colleagues Dev Rajawat and Manish Bishnoi.