Sri Lanka’s continuous losses to Pakistan in a 2-nil let up of the 3 match ODI series to a declining opposition in recent times that clawed back from trailing the Lankans in the ICC Team Rankings to going ahead drove home the fact that the Pakistanis were yet for all superior to Charith Asalanka and his men in their own Faisalabad backyard.
The once long unwanted Babar Azam bad boy of Pakistan cricket riding back into contention with an avenging unbeaten 102 to batting Pakistan out of a decline in undoing what was a challenging 288 for 7 target set by Sri Lanka underwrote Pakistan’s superiority in making light of it for just the loss of two wickets.
While the top batters fell short of converting good starts with Janith Liyanage’s 54, the only half centurion, the conspicuous failures in both games by key batsmen Kusal Mendis and skipper Charith Asalanka was a big blow to Sri Lanka setting a 300 plus target that would have offset Pakistan with Pathum Nissanka’s unnecessary run out for 29 as costly a factor. Sri Lanka lost their way when looking good on 243 for 6 into the 43rd over when the well set Liyanage and Kamindu Mendis 44 fell in quick succession. Wanindu Hasaranga fired an unbeaten 32 which once again was a pointer he should bat further up in the middle order and not at too late 8.
Sri Lanka’s running bad fielding which has not being plugged was the other dark area that let off of Pakistan with Babar Azam dropped on 5 and Faqar Zaman, who was dropped on 21 by Asitha Fernando and on 26 by Janith Liyanage.
Pakistan 289 for 2 (Babar 102*, Fakhar 78, Rizwan 51*) beat Sri Lanka 288 for 8 (Liyanage 54, Abrar 3-41) by eight wickets