Pakistan captain Shaheen Shah Afridi won the toss and decided to field first in the third and final One-day International against Sri Lanka at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
With Pakistan having already won the series, the hosts have made four changes in their line-up from the previous game, with wicket-keeper/batter Haseebullah Khan and emerging spinner Faisal Akram included.
Saim Ayub, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed and Mohammad Nawaz, meanwhile sit out.
Sri Lanka, led by Kusal Mendis due to Charith Asalanka’s illness absence, have made the same number of changes.
As they look to sweep the series, all eyes will be on former skipper Babar Azam again after he announced his form with a century following an 83-inning drought across all formats to lead the side to a series-clinching win in the second ODI on Friday.
The batter had been in good touch lately before he finally broke the curse, having scored a match-winning half century in the T20 series decider against South Africa earlier.
Pakistan coach Mike Hesson was convinced well before Babar’s exploits on Friday that the mainstay was in his best form.
After Pakistan clinched the ODI series over South Africa last weekend, Hesson had predicted that Babar would soon get a big score.
More fittingly, Mohammad Rizwan was alongside Babar as the 31-year-old sank to the ground in prostration and celebration after completing his 20th ODI ton.
The duo, who have for so long carried Pakistan’s batting, recorded their 17th 100-run partnership across all formats and their bond showed when Rizwan, who got a half-century, raised his arm in celebration as Babar completed the run that took him to the three-figure mark.
“We had planned how we were going to take the chase,” Rizwan would later say in a video released by the Pakistan Cricket Board, standing alongside Babar. “But importantly, we were planning how we could ensure that he gets to his century. He’s so very important to the team so it’s crucial he recaptured his best form.”
The crowd was in raptures as the ‘Riz-Bar’ duo helped the home side ease to the 289-run target with their first century partnership in almost a year.
Rizwan informed the duo had “subtracted one over from the equation” and were aiming to finish the game in the 49th over.
“Whenever we get a big partnership going, it becomes memorable,” reflected Babar.
During his century drought, Babar had batted 33 times in ODIs, 26 times in T20Is, and 24 times in Tests. “I was getting starts but wasn’t converting them to big scores,” he added.
Teams:
PAKISTAN: Fakhar Zaman, Haseebullah Khan (wicket-keeper), Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Salman Ali Agha, Hussain Talat, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Wasim, Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Haris Rauf, Faisal Akram
SRI LANKA: Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Kusal Mendis (captain/wicket-keeper), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Pavan Rathnayake, Janith Liyanage, Kamindu Mendis, Maheesh Theekshana, Pramod Madushan, Eshan Malinga, Jeffrey Vandersay
