A brilliant bowling show from Pakistan restricted Sri Lanka to a meagre 211-run total in the third and final One-day International at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Sunday as the hosts looked to sweep the series.
Pacers Haris Rauf (2-38) and Mohammad Wasim Junior (3-47) and left-arm wrist spinner Faisal Akram (2-42) kept taking wickets at crucial times through the course of the innings after Pakistan put Sri Lanka into bat, keeping the visitors from gaining momentum at any given point.
Pakistan had made four changes for the match, with wicket-keeper Haseebullah Khan coming in for opener Saim Ayub, Faisal replacing spinner Abrar Ahmed, captain Shaheen Shah Afridi returning at the expense of fellow pacer Naseem Shah while Faheem Ashraf replaced all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz.
A flurry of exquisite strokes on a batting friendly pitch by Sri Lankan openers Patthum Nissanka and Kamil Mishara had given the visitors a flying start before in-form pacer Haris forced Nissanka into playing one on to his stumps. Sri Lanka, however, had 57-1 on the board by the end of the first 10 overs.
First-drop Kusal Mendis, though, carried on the momentum, flicking two full deliveries by Haris for boundaries in the 11th over. But Sri Lanka received another blow when Mishara uncharacteristically poked an out-swinger by Wasim to get caught behind in the next over.
The wicket brought pushed down Sri Lanka’s run-rate, with Kusal and Sadeera Samarawickrama taking them to 99-2 by the 20th over, which saw a DRS review save Samarawickrama after an lbw appeal by Faisal was accepted by the on-field umpire.
With the boundary drought prolonging — spanning 47 balls to be exact — the pressure on the Sri Lankan batters increased, and its consequence came in form of yet another wicket for Pakistan and Wasim, who seamed one in with pace on it to castle Kusal through the gate as the Islanders reeled at 117-3 at the halfway stage.
Faisal, who had kept it tight throughout his five overs till that point, returned in the next over to catch Kamindu Mendis off his own bowling in what was a soft dismissal, pushing Sri Lanka deeper into trouble. Janith Liyanage was the next to follow, playing Faheem ’s medium-pace onto his stumps.
Faisal produced a stunning delivery in the 36th over, spinning one back into right-hander Samarawickrama to clean him up for 48.
Maheesh Theekshana followed suit as Shaheen’s searing yorker hit his foot, with DRS confirming the umpire’s lbw decision. Another perfect yorker saw Wasim uproot Jefferey Vandersay’s middle stump.
After Pavan Rathnayake had threatened a late fightback by launching Haris handsomely over long-off for six, his partner at the other end, Pramod Madushan, was stunned by a fierce bouncer by the pacer, as the ball kicked off his gloves and into those of Haseebullah behind the wickets.
Rathnayake was the last to fall, thanks to throw by substitute Saim that ran the batter out.
