Pakistan vs Sri Lanka, 3rd T20:
Sri Lanka: 147/7
Pakistan: 134/6 (20 overs, target 148)
Sri Lanka won the match by 13 runs.
Sri Lanka whitewash Pakistan in the three-match T20I series after they defeat the top-ranked T20 team in the third T20. Sri Lanka scored 147 runs while batting first at the loss of 7 wickets in 20 overs. Pakistan could only score 134 runs at the cost of 6 wickets after 20 overs, losing the match by 13 runs at the hands of Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka’s innings against Pakistan:
Sri Lanka won the toss and decided to bat first against Pakistan, who will have to bat in the second innings for the third consecutive time in the three-match series. Sri Lanka had made five changes to their squad who won the first two games of the series, as they started with Danushka Gunathilaka and wicketkeeper-batsman Sadeera Samarawickrama.
Sri Lanka’s team struggled at the beginning of the match with their top order as they had lost 4 wickets for just 58 runs. Danushka Gunathilaka scored 8 runs, while Sadeera Samarawickrama scored 12 runs before losing his wicket. Oshada Fernando played an exceptional innings on his debut as he rescued Sri Lankan squad with his much-required 78 runs off 48 balls. Oshada Fernando struck a total of 8 fours and 3 sixes as he remained not out till the end.
Oshada Fernando’s innings of 78 runs brought Sri Lanka to a defendable target of 147 runs at the loss of 7 wickets after 20 overs. Pakistan’s Mohammad Amir took 3 wickets for 27 runs against the visitors. Imad Wasim and Wahab Riaz took 1 wicket each for Pakistan.
Pakistan’s innings against Sri Lanka:
Pakistan required 148 runs off 120 balls to win the match against the visiting team. Fakhar Zaman and Babar Azam came to bat first for Pakistan. Fakhar Zaman got out on a golden duck as he was bowled by Kasun Rajitha on the very first ball of their innings.
Babar Azam and Haris Sohail put together a partnership of 76 runs off 71 balls. Babar Azam scored 27 runs off 32 balls while Haris Sohail made 52 runs off 50 balls with the help of 4 fours and a six. The top-order batsmen scored well but their strike rate was the actual issue here as between the 6th over till the 16th over, Pakistan’s side only struck two fours.
Pakistan’s captain and wicketkeeper-batsman, Sarfaraz Ahmed once again failed to have a reasonable impact on the game with his batting performance, as he got bowled by Wanindu Hasaranga after scoring 17 runs off 16 balls. Imad Wasim and Asif Ali also failed to make a difference. Iftikhar Ahmed and Wahab Riaz tried to recover by hitting some boundaries but it was too late for it as the match slipped right out of Pakistan’s hands.
Iftikhar Ahmed scored 17 runs off 8 balls while Wahab Riaz scored 12 runs off 6 balls, while both of them remained not out. Wanindu Hasaranga’s two wickets in the 18th over of the match secured the whitewash for the Sri Lanka team. After 20 overs, Pakistan had scored 134 runs at the cost of 6 wickets while chasing 148 runs. Sri Lanka won the match by 13 runs and won the three-match T20I series by 3-0.
Wanindu Hasaranga was awarded the “Player of the Match” and the “Player of the Series” for his brilliant performance with the ball. Wanindu Hasaranga took 3 wickets for 21 runs in his four overs and a total of 8 wickets in the three-match T20 series against Pakistan.
