Dilshan’s form silver-lining as Sri Lanka limp out of Asia Cup

TM Dilshan played a trademark swashbuckling innings to give Sri Lanka a reasonable score to defend in their final game of the Asia Cup but it proved to be insufficient as the Pakistanis, led by Sharjeel Khan, Sarfaraz Ahamed and Umar Akmal chased it down with ease.

Looking at Pakistan’s batting in the recent past, 150 looked like a challenging target but the absence of any wicket taking options meant that stand-in skipper for the Lankans, Dinesh Chandimal, was left with very little resources to work with.

Earlier in the evening, Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi won the toss and sent the Lankans in to bat. Openers Dilshan and Chandimal showed some restraint in the early overs as they looked to build a formidable score on what looked like the best batting surface of the championship so far. Dilshan was lucky to survive as a top edged sweep was fluffed by Mohammed Irfan at short fine leg when he was on eight. The pair kept the scoreboard ticking over as they looked to take on the spinners Mohammed Nawaz and Shahid Afridi. Nawaz went for 18 in his first over as Dilshan smoked 4, 6 and 4 off his first 3 deliveries.

With a four off the last ball of the 13^th over Dilshan became the first Sri Lankan and 15th player overall to complete 5000 runs in T20 cricket. Meanwhile Chandimal brought up his 2^nd half century of the series on the other end off 43 deliveries. The pair brought up their 1^st 100 run opening partnership in the next over, establishing a solid base from which to launch. Chandimal fell for 58 and was replaced, quite surprisingly by Shehan Jayasuriya. Jayasuriya tried to nurdle the ball around but soon fell looking to play a cross batted slog over long-off off the bowling of Shoaib Malik. Pakistan’s fast bowlers combined to ensure that Sri Lanka were not allowed to make the most of the start they got as Irfan picked up both Chamara Kapugedara and Dasun Shanaka in the 17^th over. Dilshan remained unbeaten on 75 but Sri Lanka only managed to score 40 runs off the last 6 overs for the loss of 4 wickets, after sitting pretty on 110 for no loss at the end of the 13^th over.

Early wickets would be the key for Sri Lanka if they were to restrict the Pakistan batting lineup but unfortunately it did not materialize as Mohammed Hafeez and Sharjeel Khan took 23 off the first 3.2 overs. Jayasuriya was yet again inexplicably brought into the attack in the 4^th over of the innings and was duly tonked for 13 runs but picked up the crucial wicket of Hafeez.

Sharjeel then unleashed himself on Sri Lanka’s strike bowler Dushmantha Chameera, taking him for 16 runs off his 1^st over. Dilshan came to the party to pick up Sharjeel but Sarfaraz Ahamed and Umar Akmal played some sensible cricket during the middle overs to keep the target within reach. Sarfaraz, in particular, was impressive, scoring boundaries almost at will. In a true measure of desperation, Chandimal brought on the man who is known to have a golden arm: Milinda Siriwardene. He bowled a brilliant 13^th over and picked up danger man Sarfaraz, out LBW.

The equation was still in Pakistan’s favour and Akmal and Malik did not let the run rate get

out of hand. When Akmal took 19 off Siriwardene’s next over, the match was all but done.

Nuwan Kulasekara and Chameera bowled spiritedly but there was just no way they could defend 32 off the last 5 overs. Akmal smashed Kulasekara for 6 in the penultimate over to tie the scores but Thisera Perera took a brilliant catch in the outfield to dismiss him in the very next ball to leave Pakistan needing 1 off the last over. Perera bowled a Yorker 1^st up which was fended away by Malik. The next ball was smashed to midoff but Kulasekara could not hold on to the catch and Pakistan scampered home to what was ultimately a comfortable win.

Dilshan’s return to form and Chandimal’s good run with the bat would be heartening for the Lankans but they will be thoroughly disappointed with their bowling and fielding efforts in this game. It was a tame ending for the two teams who were so dominant at the last Asia Cup and they will both have to work on all three facets of their games if they are to perform well at the WT20 later this month.

The big final between Bangladesh and India will be played on the 6^th of March at the Shere Bangla in Mirpur.