Spinner Mohammad Nawaz weaved his magic, rampaging through Sri Lanka’s middle order, as Pakistan restricted their opponents to 128-7 in their tri-nation Twenty20 series clash at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Saturday.
Nawaz returned figures of 3-16 in his four overs as Pakistan look to make it two wins from two, having beaten Zimbabwe by five wickets in the series opener.
Sri Lanka were smarting from a humiliating defeat to Zimbabwe on Thursday and after Dasun Shanaka won the toss and elected to bat, only Janith Liyanage showed any resistance with 41 not out at the end.
Liyanage’s counter-attacking innings came after openers Kamil Mishara and Pathum Nissanka broke into Pakistan’s bowling and the latter clipped Salman Mirza for four off the first ball of their innings.
Mishara then removed Mohammad Waseem Jr, in place of the injured Shaheen Shah Afridi, for six and then smashed Salman for four and six consecutive deliveries in the third over.
Mishara then attacked Faheem Ashraf and got a top edge that ran for four, but his enterprising 22 off 12 ended on the next ball when the change of pace undid him and found Fakhar Zaman at mid-wicket.
One-drop Kusal Mendis did not last long as he was run out in an attempt to run two quicks and Sri Lanka finished the powerplay at 44-2 after incoming Kusal Perera put Faheem away beyond mid-on for four.
Spinner Abrar bowled a costly first over, giving away 11, four of them open, and Perera raised Sri Lanka’s 50 with his second four.
But Abrar hit back in his second over, with Nissanka trapped at long-off for a slow 17 off 23 balls as Sri Lanka trudged to 65-3 midway through their innings.
Perera, who scored 25 off 19, welcomed Saim Ayub into the attack with a six over deep square leg, but Nawaz’s two wickets in two balls left Sri Lanka reeling.
First, Perera was cleaned up with a ball that was pitched outside but turned just enough to find a path between bat and pad and hit the off stump before Shanaka was sent packing in similar fashion, with that delivery a little quicker than the previous one.
From 78-3, Sri Lanka fell to 86-6 when Nawaz trapped Kamindu Mendis thanks to a magnificent display of athleticism from Waseem in the deep.
A first boundary in six overs came when Liyanage lifted Abrar back over his head for six in the first ball of the 17th over and when Sri Lanka crossed 100, Wanindu Hasaranga took extra cover for four two balls later.
A top cut from Waseem gave Liyanage his first four and he followed it up with another from Salman in the penultimate over before Hasaranga (11) holed out to the deep.
Liyanage, however, could not give Sri Lanka the lift they were looking for in the last over with just seven.
Equipment:
Pakistan: Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Babar Azam, Salman Ali Agha (captain), Usman Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Salman Mirza, Abrar Ahmed.
Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Kamil Mishara, Kusal Perera, Dasun Shanaka (captain), Janith Liyanage, Kamindu Mendis, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dushmantha Chameera, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Eshan Malinga.
