Pakistan chase a clean sweep as Sri Lanka fight for pride in final T20I
Web StoryWatch this story in 15 seconds →Key takeaways
- Pakistan lead the three-match T20I series 2-0 after two clear wins at Rawalpindi.
- Captain Sahibzada Farhan has scored 89 and 73 in the first two games.
- Young batter Maaz Sadaqat hit 96 in the second game, his best T20I score so far.
Pakistan play Sri Lanka in the final T20I on Tuesday night. The game takes place at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. It starts at 6:00 PM Pakistan time.
Pakistan already hold a 2-0 lead in the three-match series. A win tonight gives them a 3-0 clean sweep. Sri Lanka want one win to save some pride.
Here is how the series reached this point.
What happened
Pakistan won the first T20I by four wickets. Sri Lanka batted first and scored 182 for 8. Pakistan chased the total down with seven balls left. They finished on 187 for 6.
Captain Sahibzada Farhan led the chase with 89 runs. Lahiru Udara scored 91 for Sri Lanka in that game, according to Dawn. But his runs were not enough to win the game.
The second T20I was even more one-sided. Pakistan batted first this time. They posted 215 for 3 in 20 overs.
Dawn reports that this was Pakistan's highest-ever total in a home T20I.
Maaz Sadaqat was the star of that innings. The 21-year-old smashed 96 runs off 51 balls. He fell four runs short of his first T20I century.
Farhan backed him up with 73 runs.
Sri Lanka never got close in the chase. They finished on 133 for 7. Pakistan won by 82 runs. The win gave Pakistan an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the series.
ABP Live reports that the 82-run win was Pakistan's biggest win by runs against Sri Lanka in this format. It was a full team effort. The batters set up the game.
The bowlers then closed it out.
Debutant Mohammad Imran stood out with the ball. He took three wickets for just 11 runs in four overs, according to Dawn. Salman Mirza has also been strong with the new ball.
The new ball is the ball used at the start of each innings.
Sri Lanka have struggled in both games. Their batting has not fired as a unit. Their fielding has also let them down.
Missed catches gave Pakistan extra runs in the second game.
Fast bowler Nuwan Thushara said Sri Lanka let Pakistan off the hook with their fielding. He said better catches could have cut 20 to 30 runs from Pakistan's total. Dawn reports his comments ahead of the final game.
Why it matters
A clean sweep would mean a lot for Pakistan. It would show that their new attacking style works. Farhan has pushed his team to bat with more intent.
Intent means they try to score fast from the start.
The captain wants big scores in the powerplay. The powerplay is the first six overs of a T20 innings. Only two fielders can stand outside the inner circle in that phase.
So it is a good time to attack.
Farhan said his team aimed to push past 40 to 45 runs in the powerplay. He said they wanted to reach 50 or even 60 runs in that phase. Pakistan have done that in this series.
Their top order has fired in both games.
The series has also brought new faces to the front. Maaz Sadaqat is the biggest find. He scored 50 off 29 balls in the first game.
Then he followed it with 96 off 51 balls in the second game.
Maaz said that playing well for Pakistan gives him the most pride. He said good shows in franchise cricket helped his belief. But doing it for his country felt even better.
Dawn reports his comments after the second game.
Farhan has praised the young batter too. He said Maaz is playing with great skill. He said a first T20I hundred is every batter's dream.
Maaz came close but missed it by four runs.
The bowling unit has also grown in this series. Imran has taken his chance on debut. Mirza has been sharp with the new ball.
The team looks settled. A 3-0 finish would back up that feeling.
For Sri Lanka, the final game is about pride. They have a new captain in Kusal Mendis. They also have a new head coach in Gary Kirsten.
Both men are still looking for a winning formula. A win in Rawalpindi would give them a base to build on.
Sri Lanka also need to fix their fielding. Dropped catches cost them in the second game. Their bowlers need more help from the fielders.
Thushara said the team would return with a better plan for the final match.
This series also matters for fans in Pakistan. Home crowds have seen big totals and fast scoring. The team has played bold cricket.
That style brings people to the ground. It also brings them to TV screens.
For readers who follow Test cricket too, Australia just wrapped up a big win in Durban. Josh Hazlewood took six wickets as Australia beat South Africa by 214 runs. That Test shows how fast bowlers can still change a game.
What happens next
The final T20I takes place on Tuesday night at Rawalpindi. Pakistan could test their bench. Bench means the squad players who have not played yet.
The trophy is already won. So the team could rest a few key players.
But the team may also stick with a winning side. Farhan has said his side will keep the same attacking mindset. He said the demand of T20 cricket stays the same in every game.
Dawn reports his comments from a video released by the Pakistan Cricket Board.
Left-arm wrist-spinner Sufyan Moqim could get a game. Leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed has had modest returns in the series. A change in the spin attack is one option for Pakistan.
Sri Lanka could also make changes. Viyaskanth Vijayakanth is one bowling option. Dushmantha Chameera could return if he is fit.
Their batting needs to improve most of all. The top order must give the team a strong start.
Lahiru Udara is one player to watch. He scored 91 in the opening match. He was quiet in the second game.
A big score from him would help Sri Lanka a lot.
Kusal Mendis must also lead from the front. He is the captain and a key batter. His side needs runs from the top.
If the top order fires, Sri Lanka can post a strong total.
Rawalpindi is known as a batting-friendly ground. The pitch tends to help batters more than bowlers. Dawn expects another high-scoring game on Tuesday.
Pleasant evening weather is forecast for the match.
A high total could be on the cards again. Pakistan have scored 187 and 215 in the series so far. Sri Lanka will need to match that pace to win.
They will need early wickets with the ball. Early wickets slow the batting side down.
If Pakistan win, the series ends 3-0. That would be a strong statement from a young side. If Sri Lanka win, the series ends 2-1. That would still count as a series loss. But it would give the visitors a lift before their next games.
Either way, the series has given fans a clear story. Pakistan have found a bold new style. Sri Lanka have found work to do.
The final game will show how far each side has come.
Fans can follow the score ball by ball on the usual live-score sites. The game starts at 6:00 PM Pakistan time. The toss takes place half an hour earlier.
The team that wins the toss will pick whether to bat or bowl first.
Cricket fans who want more from this week can also read our other explainers. Australia's Test win in Durban came down to one huge batting show. And Nepal's League 2 win over Oman shows how smaller teams are growing too.
The cricket calendar stays busy after this series ends.
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