Pakistan take tri-series in a canter as Sri Lanka batters blow a great start.Bowling needs plenty of attention and sloppy fielding needs to be a focus. BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE. (eLanka Sports Editor)
Sri Lanka returned home with some optimism for the future despite a 3-wicket loss in the final to hosts Pakistan at Lahore.
The noticeably improving Island nation is currently suffering from a pendulum affect, first inconsistency in the batting, now with the bowlers taking a hammering in both the the T20s then in the tri-series also involving England.
The upside to all of this is the new mindset in the team which suggests a mature outlook and better composure in pressure situations.
That direction can be attributed to coach Gary Kirstan whose experience with world champion South Africa as a player, appears to be slowly infiltrating into the players mindset.
The trend also suggests that come the World Cup in 2027 in South Africa Sri Lanka with Kirstan’s local knowledge of the conditions, will be better prepared for a tilt at upsetting the top sides.
The final against Pakistan saw the home team confound all expectations when they sprayed Sri Lanka’s bowlers to all parts much against the grain of previous games at this venue where a total of 300 plus was a winning total.
But hindsight also confirms that batting second in day/night games in Lahore has been mostly favourable to the team batting second. Pakistan used this knowledge to turn tables on the Lankans.
Pakistan rode on a magnificent century by after an early setback when Sri Lanka speedster Dilshan Madushanka removed openers Maaz Sadaqat and Barbar Azam with the total on 14 in 3.3 overs.
But Fakhar Zaman took control with Saad Baig as they pulled them out of a rut with a 149 run stand for the third wicket into the 27th over.
Zaman struck a belligerent 127 off 99 balls with 6 sixers and 11 fours to lead the run chase and Baig, 74 off 75 balls, as Sri Lanka’s bowlers found little success against the middle and lower order that kept up the momentum to surge Pakistan to victory with nine balls to spare..
Sri Lanka for their part squandered a early platform set up by openers Kamindu Mendis and Avishka Fernando who built the promise of a massive target.
Kamindu Mendis top scored with 131 runs off 128 balls and figured in useful partnerships with Avishka Fernando 87 off 17.2 overs. Fernando made an useful 38 off 49 deliveries.
Kamindu Mendis and reliable Pavan Rathnayake 77 off 65, steered Sri Lanka towards a strong total until their successive departures sent Sri Lanka’s batting into a nosedive and well below where they should have ended as panic and rash strokeplay by the tail in the final overs gave Pakistan the upperhand.
The crucial loss of Pavan Rathnayake and Janith Liyanage and a careless shot selection by experienced Dasun Shanaka in the tension overs put paid to any chance of building an unassailable target.
Rathnayake was unfortunate not to be named Player-of-the-series despite scoring two centuries and top scoring in the tournament. The award went to Pakistani Arafat Minhas while Fakhar Zaman was deservedly named Player-of-the-match.
In fact Sri Lanka were 279 for 4 at one stage in 43.2 overs and looked ominous, but losing the last four wickets for 51 in 6.4 overs, they blew the early momentum. They laboured to 325 from there for the loss of 8 wickets in 50 overs.
While hindsight is a wonderful thing, what Sri Lanka can take from their unsuccessful attempt to win the tri-series is the lessons learnt from their last two games where they went down to England and Pakistan conceding games they could have won if their bowling and substandard efforts in the field were crucial areas that needs work.
For the record, Sri Lanka’s bowlers took a heavy toll apart from one noticeable performance where they bowled Pakistan out for 110 to make the final.
In total they conceded 2561 runs in five games and took 36 wickets a stat that needs addressing in their future encounters.
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