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Fakhar Zaman was the cornerstone of Pakistan's stunning win over Sri Lanka in the tri-series final. Battling a bruised knee and a lean run, Fakhar scored
127 and led Pakistan to a three-wicket win. Zaman got brilliant support from Arafat Minhas, who scored 61 off 31 to help Pakistan chase 326 in the 49th over. The Sri Lanka bowlers found it hard to control the wet ball because of dew. Kamindu Mendis’ 131, his maiden ODI century, earlier helped Sri Lanka reach 325-8.
Zaman and Minhas star in chase
Zaman came into the final on the back of a poor run, having scored just 31 runs in his last four innings and spent most of the time in the dressing room after he injured his right knee while fielding; however, he showed his class and proved how big a match-winner he is for the Men in Green.Pakistan lost Maaz Sadaqat for 5 and Babar Azam for a five-ball duck, much to the disappointment of the 31,265 home fans at Gaddafi Stadium, but Zaman revived the chase with 19-year-old Saad Baig, who made 74 off 75 balls. They put up a better-than-a-run-a-ball 149-run partnership against scrappy Sri Lanka bowling and fielding. Sri Lanka’s had an off day in the field and dropped Zaman twice at 69 and 106, and the southpaw made them pay.
Zaman’s 99-ball knock, including 11 fours and six sixes, finally ended in the 34th over when he was clean-bowled by Dilshan Madushanka with Pakistan still 106 runs from victory. Madushanka took 3-63.
The wet ball couldn’t help Sri Lanka as the young pair of Minhas and Hasan Nawaz (37 not out) kept their nerves in a 94-run stand by rotating the strike consistently.
“We made a great comeback in the bowling in the last 10 overs,” Shaheen Afridi said. “There was a collapse again (in batting) but Fakhar played a brilliant knock. I always say Fakhar scores in big games … Saad, Arafat, and Hasan Nawaz have all made crucial contributions which is good for Pakistan cricket.”
Mendis and Rathnayake Lift Sri Lanka
Kamindu Mendis and opening partner Avishka Fernando (38) gave Sri Lanka a solid start of 87, then Mendis and the in-form Pavan Rathnayake contributed another stand of 146 with brisk scoring in the middle overs.Afridi trapped Mendis lbw off a fuller delivery in the 42nd over. His 128-ball knock featured 12 fours and two sixes. He consistently rotated the strike with Rathnayake, who was denied his third century in the tournament when he holed out to long-on in the 45th after scoring 77 off 65 balls.
Pakistan, without an unwell Shadab Khan, pulled Sri Lanka back in the death overs through the pace bowlers. Sri Lanka scored 87-6 in the final 10 overs as Afridi, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf all bagged two wickets each.
“We were short by 25-30 runs,” Sri Lanka captain Kusal Mendis said. “Our bowling unit did well in the powerplay (but) our mistakes in the fielding cost us which we need to work on moving forward. There are a lot of positives to take from this series … (and) there is room for improvement.”
(With Inputs From AP)
