CRICKET – Pakistan triumphed over Sri Lanka by six wickets to win the seven-match Tri-nation T20I series as they chased the 115-run target with eight balls to spare at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium yesterday.
Apart from the last league game, Pakistan bagged four wins in the series and took their total wins in T20Is to 21 in the ongoing year – the most triumphs recorded by Pakistan in a year since playing its first game in August 2006.
Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan (23, 22b, 2x4s, 1x6) provided Pakistan a steady start with a 46-run opening stand before Eshan Malinga drew first blood for Sri Lanka in eighth over. Saim departed in the 12th over after scoring 36 off 33 balls, which included six fours.
Babar saw off the chase with an unbeaten knock of 37 involving two fours and a solitary six facing 34 balls.
Sri Lanka’s Pavan Rathnayake dismissed Salman Ali Agha (14, 14b, 2x4s) and Fakhar Zaman in 16th and 18th over in a late resurgence with the ball but in vain.
Earlier, Sri Lanka’s innings collapsed in a spectacular manner as they were asked to bat first and slipped from 98-2 to 114 all out as Pakistan’s spin trio of Mohammad Nawaz (3-17), Abrar Ahmed (2-18) and Saim Ayub (1-17) returned combined figures of 6-52.
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