LAHORE (The Thursday Times) — Dilshan Madushanka took a career-best five for 34 as Sri Lanka bowled Pakistan out for 110 and won by eight wickets with 31.5 overs to spare at the Gaddafi Stadium on Tuesday, sealing a place in Saturday’s ODI tri-series final against the same opponents.
Pakistan, who had already qualified after winning their first three matches, were sent in by Sri Lanka captain Kusal Mendis and never settled against the left-arm quick’s short-pitched bowling. The defeat also turned Thursday’s league game between England and Sri Lanka into a dead rubber.
From 61 for four to 110 all out
Madushanka removed Fakhar Zaman for five in the fourth over, caught at point, and later Saad Baig. Maaz Sadaqat, added to the squad a day earlier, made eight before Asitha Fernando trapped him with a yorker. Babar Azam top-scored with 29 off 33 balls before falling leg-before to Eshan Malinga, by which time Pakistan had already used up both their reviews and were 61 for four.
Sahan Arachchige and Dunith Wellalage pushed Pakistan to 91 for eight, and Madushanka returned to finish the job, dismissing Arafat Minhas, Haris Rauf and finally captain Shaheen Shah Afridi, whose 15 off 13 balls included two sixes. The innings lasted only 25.3 overs.
Kamindu races home
Kamindu Mendis and Avishka Fernando put on 50 for the first wicket in under seven overs. Kamindu, dropped in Shaheen’s first over and successful with an lbw review, reached his fifty off 43 balls and finished unbeaten on 62 from 60, with eight fours and two sixes. Arafat bowled Kusal Mendis for eight when the ball rebounded off the bat onto the stumps, but Pavan Rathnayake, 23 not out, saw Sri Lanka to 114 for two in 18.1 overs.
The collapse exposed Pakistan’s familiar top-order frailty two days after Shadab Khan’s unbeaten century rescued a one-wicket win over England. The two sides meet again in Saturday’s final.
