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1:25 PM IST & Local Time: That's it! What a cracking high-scoring contest we have witnessed here in Dambulla. Sri Lanka have pulled off a superb chase to win by six wickets and take the lead in the 3-match T20I Series. The star of the day is undoubtedly Imesha Dulani, who produced an innings for the ages with a magnificent maiden T20I hundred. 

Earlier in the day, Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to chase, with both captains getting the result they wanted at the toss. Pakistan got off to a flying start through Muneeba Ali and Shawaal Zulfiqar, with the skipper in particular taking the attack to the bowlers during the powerplay. The opening pair powered Pakistan to 64/0 at the end of six overs before their 66-run stand was finally broken by a run out. Muneeba Ali fell just short of a half-century, departing for a brisk 42. 

Shawaal Zulfiqar continued to lead the charge and brought up her maiden T20I half-century. She top-scored with a superb 63 off 41 deliveries, anchoring the innings beautifully. Useful contributions from Eman Naseer (21), Ayesha Zafar (17) and Saira Jabeen (13) kept the scoreboard moving as Pakistan finished with an imposing total of 176/7 from their 20 overs. 

In reply, Sri Lanka came out with aggressive intent as Chamari Athapaththu and Imesha Dulani tore into the Pakistan attack. The hosts raced to their team fifty in just 4.1 overs and were flying at 67/0 at the end of the powerplay. Pakistan struck back immediately after the fielding restrictions as Nashra Sandhu removed Athapaththu for a blazing 39 off 22 balls, thanks to a stunning catch from Umm-e-Hani. The visitors clawed their way back into the contest and, at the halfway mark, Sri Lanka were 98/2, still needing 79 runs from the final 10 overs. 

However, Imesha Dulani held the innings together brilliantly and ensured the chase never lost momentum. She first added a valuable 25-run stand with Harshitha Samarawickrama before putting together a match-defining 52-run partnership with Kavisha Dilhari for the fourth wicket.

Imesha Dulani (101*) produced an innings for the ages, bringing up her maiden T20I hundred off just 63 deliveries. It was a knock filled with composure, class and controlled aggression as she guided Sri Lanka towards the target. The hosts eventually cruised to victory in the 19th over, sealing a memorable six-wicket win and taking the honours in a thrilling high-scoring encounter. Stay tuned for the Post-Match Presentation!

Centuries for Sri Lanka Women in T20Is:

119* – Chamari Athapaththu vs Malaysia Women, Dambulla, 2024

113 – Chamari Athapaththu vs Australia Women, North Sydney, 2019

106* – Chamari Athapaththu vs Ireland Women, Bristol, 2026

102 – Chamari Athapaththu vs Scotland Women, Abu Dhabi, 2024

101* – Imesha Dulani vs Pakistan Women, Dambulla, 2026 (This Match)*

1:35 PM IST & Local Time: Time for the Post-Match Presentation!

Muneeba Ali (Pakistan Women Captain): "[If you look back at the first 20 overs, the game seemed to be under control. Where do you think things went wrong?] Yeah, actually, I thought our batting was good. Everybody showed positive intent and looked to score freely, which was the demand of the innings. I think it was a good total. But with the ball, we leaked too many runs in the powerplay. After that, our spinners bowled well according to the conditions because there was a bit of hold in the wicket. I felt bowling more into the channel would have created more pressure on the batters. Those are the areas we need to improve. Also, in the field, we need to be a bit quicker. 

[Positives?] A lot of players are making comebacks, and we also had a couple of debutants. A few others have only played three or four international matches. They'll learn with every game they play, and that's how players develop at this level.

[You're 1-0 down in the series now. What needs to change in the remaining games?] Obviously, we'd like to bat in the same manner in the coming matches if we get the chance. With the ball, we need to be more disciplined—control our lengths and areas for longer periods. If we can also add another 10 to 15 runs with the bat, that would make a big difference."

Imesha Dulani (Player of the Match): "(The surface suited her style of batting) The conditions is really good for the batters. I adapted to the plans and I am really happy that I have managed to take my side over the line. 

(How is it like to open the innings with Athapaththu) I don't have any fear. When we bat together in the middle, I try to play my natural game knowing that she (Athapaththu) is there at the non-striker's end. 

(Did she play her natural game today?) I played according to the plans. There was a heavy breeze that was blowing across the ground so I had to adjust. I tried to play according to the wind. I just tried to play my natural game."

Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka Women Captain): "[We saw the surface playing a little slower today. Considering that, was 170 always the target you had in mind?] No, actually we thought 170 was a good score on this wicket. We believed it was a challenging total, and we were confident that we could chase it down.

[You seem to enjoy chasing. It feels like you're always comfortable batting second. Is that something you prefer?] Yes, we've chased down good totals in the last five or six games, but that doesn't mean we can't bat first. We have a strong batting lineup, and if we stick to our plans and play our best, fearless cricket in the middle overs, we can win more games.

[The pressure has often been on you while chasing, but now it's encouraging to see youngsters coming through and scoring runs like Imesha did today.] Yes, definitely. I don't feel that pressure anymore. We now have some really good youngsters like Harshitha, Vishmi, Imesha, and Kavisha. We have a bright future, and Sri Lanka is in good hands. Because the youngsters are performing so well, I feel much freer as captain now."

What a run chase that was from Sri Lanka! They have pulled off their highest successful chase in T20I cricket and have done it in some style. The star of the day was undoubtedly Imesha Dulani, whose magnificent century will be remembered for a very long time.     

Sri Lanka now take the lead in the T20I series and will head into the next game full of confidence. The second game of the series is all set to be played here in Dambulla on Saturday. Do join us for that. For now, this is Pritam Dey signing off on behalf of my co-commentator Deepak Prakash who, along with scorer/analyst Ashok Dayma & statistician Aman brought all the updates of this clash. Stay tuned for more cricketing action from around the world. BYE BYE👋