Dasun Shanaka’s blitz, followed by Wanindu Hasaranga’s crucial four-wicket haul, guided Sri Lanka to level the series after a thrilling win in a high-scoring third and final T20I played on Sunday (11th January) in Dambulla.
The start of the match was delayed due to rain. The rain arrived just after 5.00 PM and the toss was delayed amid a slight drizzle. Finally, the rain completely stopped as the game was set to commence at 9.20 PM, with 12 overs per side.
Salman Agha won the toss, which took place 20 minutes earlier, and chose to bowl first. Sri Lanka brought in Eshan Malinga and Matheesha Pathirana, replacing Dushmantha Chameera and Nuwan Thushara. Pakistan too made a couple of changes as they handed a debut to 23-year-old keeper-batter Khawaja Nafay, with Naseem Shah also returning to the side, while Fakhar Zaman and Salman Mirza were left out.
Sri Lanka lost both openers within 1.5 overs. Pathum Nissanka was removed for a two-ball duck before Kamil Mishara perished for a quick 20. Dhananjaya de Silva contributed 22, taking the side past 50 inside five overs. Kusal Mendis was dropped on 9 by Faheem Ashraf, and the No.3 batter capitalised on it to make a 16-ball 30. He shared 46 runs with Charith Asalanka off just 22 balls as the hosts raced to 100 in 8.5 overs.
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After slipping to 5 down for 102, Sri Lanka found a grand finish through Dasun Shanaka and Janith Liyanage. The two right-handers hammered 52 runs for the sixth wicket in just 15 balls. Skipper Shanaka whacked three consecutive sixes off the first three deliveries of the final over before being dismissed off the very next ball. He smashed 34 off 9 balls, hitting 5 sixes overall. Liyanage also struck an unbeaten 22 off 8 balls as the home side finished with a formidable total of 160 for 6 in their 12 overs.
On the bowling front, Mohammad Wasim took three wickets but, in the process, also conceded 54 runs in his three overs.
Pakistan lost Sahibzada Farhan early, who dragged one on to his stumps off Eshan Malinga. However, captain Salman Agha got off to a flier, finding regular boundaries as Pakistan stroked 44 runs combined in the second and third overs. Matheesha Pathirana provided the much-needed breakthrough with Agha caught at short fine-leg for a rapid 45 off just 12 balls. Wanindu Hasaranga then joined the party by dismissing Saim Ayub and Usman Khan in his first over.
Khawaja Nafay and Mohammad Nawaz brought Pakistan back into the game with a quick-fire 49-run stand. Hasaranga returned to dismiss Nafay and Shadab Khan in the same over. The debutant made an impressive 26 in a tense chase. Pathirana delivered what was probably the knockout blow by castling Nawaz for 28 in the penultimate over. The visitors ended up on 146 for 8 as Sri Lanka sealed a 14-run win.
Hasaranga was the pick of the Sri Lankan bowlers with figures of 4 for 35 as the star leg-spinner became the fifth bowler and joint-fastest to reach 150 T20I wickets, equalling Rashid Khan. Pathirana was also brilliant, delivering when it mattered and bagging two crucial wickets.
Result
| Batsmen | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pathum Nissanka | c Faheem Ashraf b Naseem Shah | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Kamil Mishara | c Khawaja Nafay b Mohammad Wasim Jnr | 20 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 250.00 |
| Kusal Mendis | c Usman Khan b Mohammad Wasim Jnr | 30 | 16 | 2 | 2 | 187.50 |
| Dhananjaya de Silva | c Sahibzada Farhan b Mohammad Nawaz | 22 | 15 | 4 | 0 | 146.67 |
| Charith Asalanka | c & b | 21 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 161.54 |
| Dasun Shanaka | c Saim Ayub b Mohammad Wasim Jnr | 34 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 377.78 |
| Janith Liyanage | not out | 22 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 275.00 |
| Wanindu Hasaranga | not out | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Extras | 10 (b 0 , lb 3 , nb 0, w 7, pen 0) |
| Total | 160/6 (12 Overs, RR: 13.33) |
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | Econ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Naseem Shah | 3 | 0 | 35 | 1 | 11.67 | |
| Mohammad Wasim Jnr | 3 | 0 | 54 | 3 | 18.00 | |
| Abrar Ahmed | 2 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 11.00 | |
| Shadab Khan | 2 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 9.50 | |
| Mohammad Nawaz | 1 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 8.00 | |
| Faheem Ashraf | 1 | 0 | 19 | 1 | 19.00 | |
| Batsmen | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sahibzada Farhan | b | 9 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 128.57 |
| Saim Ayub | c Eshan Malinga b Wanindu Hasaranga | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 120.00 |
| Agha Salman | c Eshan Malinga b Matheesha Pathirana | 45 | 12 | 5 | 3 | 375.00 |
| Usman Khan | c Pathum Nissanka b Wanindu Hasaranga | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 33.33 |
| Mohammad Nawaz | b Matheesha Pathirana | 28 | 15 | 12 | 2 | 186.67 |
| Khawaja Nafay | c Dhananjaya de Silva b Wanindu Hasaranga | 26 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 173.33 |
| Shadab Khan | c Eshan Malinga b Wanindu Hasaranga | 6 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 200.00 |
| Faheem Ashraf | run out (Kusal Mendis) | 9 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 300.00 |
| Mohammad Wasim Jnr | not out | 7 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 87.50 |
| Naseem Shah | not out | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Extras | 8 (b 0 , lb 1 , nb 0, w 7, pen 0) |
| Total | 146/8 (12 Overs, RR: 12.17) |
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | Econ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mahesh Theekshana | 2 | 0 | 27 | 0 | 13.50 | |
| Eshan Malinga | 2 | 0 | 27 | 1 | 13.50 | |
| Matheesha Pathirana | 3 | 0 | 34 | 2 | 11.33 | |
| Wanindu Hasaranga | 3 | 0 | 35 | 4 | 11.67 | |
| Dhananjaya de Silva | 2 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 11.00 | |
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