PAK vs SL | Twitter impressed as Wasim, Rizwan, and Fakhar power Pakistan to six-wicket win in final ODI

Pakistan completed a whitewash in their three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka, winning the final ODI by six wickets in Rawalpindi on Sunday. Mohammad Wasim led a disciplined bowling display from the home side with a three-wicket haul to skittle out the Lankans for 211, while Fakhar Zaman and Mohammad Rizwan shone with contrasting half-centuries to ensure a comfortable chase for the hosts.

After being put into bat at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, the visitors had a good start with openers Pathum Nissanka and Kamil Mishara adding 55 runs inside eight overs. But Haris Rauf and Wasim dismissed both set batters in the space of 20 balls to bring the Men in Green back into the contest. However, stand-in skipper Kusal Mendis and Sadeera Samarawickrama were involved in a steady, albeit slow, stand that took the Lankans past the 100-run mark. But another collapse saw them slip from 112/2 in 24 overs to 193/8 by the end of the 42nd. Mendis triggered the downfall after being castled by Wasim for a 54-ball 34, while Samarawickrama was unfortunate to miss out on a fifty, with left-arm wrist spinner Faisal Akram going through his defence when on 48. Debutant Pavan Rathnayake (32) came up with a handy knock lower down the order to take the side past 200, but the visitors' innings ended with 28 balls to spare. Wasim was the pick among the hosts’ bowlers with a spell of 3/47, with Rauf and Akram playing the supporting role admirably with two scalps each.

Chasing 212, the home side were put on the back foot early on with opener Haseebullah Khan getting dismissed for his second duck in two ODIs. However, the in-form duo of Fakhar Zaman and Babar Azam took the side out of the woods to end the powerplay at 46/1. The pair put on an assured 74-run stand for the second wicket, with the southpaw being the aggressor, hitting eight fours during his 45-ball 55. The visitors showed some signs of recovery when leg-spinner Jeffrey Vandersay, who replaced Wanindu Hasaranga in the team, dismissed both batters, along with Salman Agha, to reduce them to 115/4. But Rizwan and Hussain Talat calmed the nerves with an unbeaten century partnership to take the side home with more than five overs to spare. The wicketkeeper-batter had four boundaries in his knock of 61 from 92 balls, while the all-rounder gave him company with 42 runs as the duo took the side past the target to end at 215/4. Vandersay was the island nation’s best bowler with figures of 3/42 in 10 overs, with Maheesh Theekshana ending with a wicket.

Fifity!

Sunday blast!

Well played!

Deserved!

Bowled out!

Perfect!

What a ball!

Masterclass!

19th Half century!

Great!