Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by 7 wkts
Takes ODI series 2-1:
By Ranjan Anandappa in Dambulla
Sri Lanka took the three match ODI series (2-1) as Pakistan went down
meekly to hand over the third and final match losing by 7 wickets in a
rain affected game at the Rangiri Dambulla Stadium yesterday.
President
congratulates SL team
 President Mahinda Rajapaksa congratulated the Sri Lanka cricket team
yesterday after the home team’s victory over Pakistan in the three-match
One Day International series.
“You have made Sri Lanka proud by winning both the Test and ODI
series to climb in the international rankings. I wish you well in future
endeavours,” the President said in a congratulatory message to Sri Lanka
captain Angelo Mathews after Sri Lanka crushed Pakistan by seven wickets
in the third ODI played in Dambulla yesterday.
Sri Lanka completed a double by winning both the Test (2-0) and ODI
(2-1) home series against Pakistan. |
Sri Lanka needed 102 runs to win in 48 overs and they reached the
target for the loss of three wickets in 18.2 overs with Tillekeratne
Dilshan compiling a 54 ball 50 with nine fours. It was a great
disappointment for the spectators who gathered in their numbers to watch
an ODI since 2013 when Sri Lanka met New Zealand. There were no terrors
in the pitch as Misbah-Ul-Haq quite rightly elected to bat first after
winning the toss aiming at a total of 250 plus to insert the pressure on
the Lankans. But it was not to be as the Lankan stuck to their job
admirably with a display of disciplined bowling to restrict the visitors
to a paltry 102 in 32.1 overs.
An early blitz by the Sri Lankan opening bowlers Dammika Prasad and
Lasith Malinga who put the home team on a pedestal and a late burst by
Thisara Perera who took 4 for 34 put Pakistan batting in a terrible
tangle dismissing the visitors for 102 in
|
Thisara Perera celebrates after running through Pakistan
batting to finish with 4-34, which earned his second
successive Man of the Match award in the ODI series against
Pakistan. Pix : Kamal Jayamanne |
overs. Pakistan lost their last six wickets for 55 runs as Thisara
Perera extracted plenty of bounce and venom to demolish the late middle
order. Rain interrupted play around 12.10 pm with Pakistan precariously
placed at 81 for 8 in 26 overs. On resumption after rain Pakistan were
able to add only 21 runs. Only left hander Fawad Alam batted with some
authority standing firm when wickets fell at regular intervals around
him. He was unbeaten on 38 facing 73 deliveries with three hits to the
ropes.
Misbah-ul-Haq won the toss and thought it was a good surface to bat.
Pakistan had brought back their ace spinner Saeed Ajmal who was back
from Australia after scrutinising his bowling action in place of left
arm paceman Junaid Khan. Sri Lanka left out Nuwan Kulasekera and
included Dammika Prasad in the final eleven. Prasad’s inclusion was
quickly justified when he immediately struck a length to unsettle the
Pakistani batsmen. Opener Kareeja Khan was the first to go when he edged
one to Mahela Jayawardena in the slips in his second over and the third
in the innings.
None of the Pakistani batsmen were really in control amidst some good
seam bowling by Prasad and Malinga. The duo bowled well within
themselves with Dammika Prasad in particular concentrating more on
accuracy rather than pace. The Pakistani batsmen were not given the
opportunity for free stroke play and they were struggling for fluency.
Prasad after dismissing Khareeja Khan took the wicket of the other
opener Ahmed Shehzad forcing him to drive one towards the mid-wicket
region uppishly where Thisara Perera took the catch. In the first five
overs Pakistan managed only six runs for one wicket. Pakistan were
plunging further towards disaster with the score reading 19 for 3 in 10
overs. Prasad had taken 2 for 9 and Malinga 1 for 9 after 11overs.
Mathews brought himself into the attack replacing Malinga and Herath
took over from Prasad. And the carnage continued with the spineless
batting display by the visitors. What Pakistan needed was a sound
partnership to pull themselves out from the deep hole they were in. They
had the batsmen to do that with Fawad Alam the first ODI hero and
skipper Misba-ul-Haq in together.
The partnership between Misbah and Alam on which the rescue of the
innings clearly depended realised only 33 runs when the dynamic Dilshan
brought off one of his unerring direct hits to send back Misbah-ul-Haq,
and Pakistan were 47 for 4 in 15.5 overs. One of Pakistan’s most
talented players, Umar Akmal joined Fawad Alam.
Akmal, a batsman who could change the complexion of the game while in
full cry began cautiously. He hit Thisara Perera for a six and going for
a repetition mistimed the ball and skied one to Lasith Malinga who had
to cover a lot of ground to take a sprawling catch.
Scoreboard
Pakistan innings (48 overs)
Ahmed Shehzad c Perera b Prasad 10
Sharjeel Khan c Jayawardene b Prasad 00
Mohammad Hafeez lbw b Malinga 01
Misbah-ul-Haq run out (Dilshan) 18
Fawad Alam not out 38
Umar Akmal c Malinga b Perera 07
Sohaib Maqsood c Sangakkara b Perera 07
Shahid Afridi c Perera b Prasanna 02
Wahab Riaz c Sangakkara b Perera 00
Saeed Ajmal c Jayawardene b Perera 06
Mohammad Irfan b Herath 05
Extras (lb 1, w 6, nb 1) 08
TOTAL (all out; 32.1 overs) 102
Fall of wickets: 1-4 (Sharjeel Khan), 2-14 (Shehzad)
3-14 (Hafeez), 4-47 (Misbah), 5-55 (Akmal)
6-73 (Maqsood), 7-76 (Afridi), 8-77 (Riaz)
9-88 (Ajmal), 10-102 (Irfan)
Bowling: Dhammika Prasad 6-0-25-2
Lasith Malinga 7-2-17-1
Angelo Mathews 5-0-11-0
Rangana Herath 2.1-0-6-1
Thisara Perera 8-1-34-4
Seekkuge Prasanna 4-1-8-1
Sri Lanka innings (target; 101 from 48 overs)
Upul Tharanga b Irfan 14
Tillekeratne Dilshan not out 50
Kumar Sangakkara c Hafeez b Riaz 02
Mahela Jayawardene c Hafeez b Ajmal 26
Angelo Mathews not out 00
Extras (lb 7, w 5) 12
TOTAL (3 wickets; 18.2 overs) 104
Fall of wickets: 1-46 (Tharanga), 2-59 (Sangakkara)
3-100 (Jayawardene)
Bowling: Mohammad Irfan 7-0-37-1
Wahab Riaz 6-1-42-1
Saeed Ajmal 4-0-10-1
Shahid Afridi 1.2-0-8-0 |
