Dushmantha Chameera held their nerve with a barrage of pinpoint yorkers in the final over as Sri Lanka defended 184 to beat Pakistan by six runs in a nerve-wracking Twenty20 International tri-series encounter at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Thursday night.
Needing 10 off the last six balls with three wickets in hand, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha (unbeaten 63 off 44) could only manage a single and watch helplessly as Faheem Ashraf (seven) holed out at long-on and Mohammad Wasim blocked the final perfect yorker.
A packed house fell silent as Sri Lanka claimed victory and advanced to Saturday’s final.
Pakistan were reeling at 43 for 4 in the sixth over after Chameera removed Sahibzada Farhan (nine) and Babar Azam (zero) in the space of three deliveries and young pacer Eshan Malinga rattled the stumps of Saim Ayub (27 off 18).
From that precarious position, Salman and Usman Khan (33 off 23) launched a spirited counter-attack, adding 56 for the fifth wicket and keeping the asking rate in sight.
Usman fell attempting a big shot too many against Wanindu Hasaranga (1-27) but Mohammad Nawaz (27 off 16) joined his captain to once again raise Pakistan’s hopes.
The pair smashed 70 in just 36 balls for the sixth wicket, with Nawaz hitting two sixes and Salman bringing up a classy fifty. When Nawaz skied from one to long with 22 needed off 12, the equation still looked achievable.
However, Chameera, who finished with magnificent figures of 4-20, dismissed Faheem again in the penultimate over and then sealed the game with an ice-cold execution under pressure.
Pakistan’s chase had started confidently with Sahibzada and Saim adding 28 in the first three overs. But Chameera’s double blow in the fourth over – Sahibzada caught at cover and Babar caught in front – triggered a familiar wobble of the first order.
Saim’s extravagant 27 ended when Malinga (2-54) dragged one back to crash into the stump, and when Fakhar Zaman (one) missed to mid-wicket, Pakistan were staring at another collapse.
Salman, however, stood his ground. Sleek rides were followed by bold ramps and inside-out lofts as he carried the fight almost single-handedly.
His unbeaten 63, combined with four fours and three sixes, ensured Pakistan reached the final delivery, but it fell short.
Earlier, Kamil Mishara’s brilliant 48-ball 76, studded with six fours and three sixes, formed the backbone of Sri Lanka’s towering 184 for 5.
Sri Lanka, put into bat by Pakistan, lost Pathum Nissanka early to a beauty from Salman Mirza, but Kusal Mendis (40 off 23) and 23-year-old Mishara added a spirited 66 for the second wicket to wrest the initiative.
Even after Mendis fell lbw to a straighter one from Abrar Ahmed, Mishara continued to dominate, reaching his fifty in style with an inside-out six off part-timer Saim.
Pakistan’s bowlers struggled to stem the flow of runs on a batting-friendly surface. Wasim and Faheem proved expensive, while Abrar (2-28) was the pick of the attack with his clever variations.
A late flourish from Dasun Shanaka (17 off 10) and a last-ball run – Shanaka was stranded after a mix-up with Janith Liyanage (24 not out) – pushed Sri Lanka past 180, a total that looked unlikely during a brief mid-innings wobble.
Sri Lanka reached 58 without loss in the six-over powerplay, with Mendis particularly harsh in anything short. Nissanka’s wicket, bowled by a clever slower cutter from Salman, briefly applied the brakes but Mendis and Mishara ensured the scoring rate never fell below nine an over.
Abrar gave Pakistan their second breakthrough when he trapped Mendis in front with one that skated straight, ending a dazzling knock that contained six fours and a six.
Kusal Perera’s fight continued as he holed out to score backwards off Saim for a laborious six, leaving Sri Lanka at 96 for 3 in the 11th over.
Mishara, however, refused to allow Pakistan any respite. He hit Abrar switch-hitting for six, lifted Nawaz long on and punished anything short or open with disdain.
His dismissal in the 17th over, overcoming a long sweep off Abrar, finally gave Pakistan some relief, but by then the damage had been done.
Liyanage and Shanaka added 31 in quick time for the fifth wicket. Shanaka’s cameo included two towering sixes and two crisp fours, although his innings ended in unfortunate fashion when a desperate second run off the last ball resulted in a run-out, Babar’s straight drive from midwicket finding him well short.
