Pakistan chased down 326 to beat Sri Lanka by three wickets in the final of the tri-nation series on Saturday at a packed Gaddafi Stadium, sealing the title with nine balls to spare in what was the joint-highest successful chase in an ODI final.
asserted
what → chase → final
Shaheen Shah Afridi, the captain, finished it in style — a six slapped over midwicket off Dilshan Madushanka in the 49th over — after Hasan Nawaz had levelled the scores with a dab to backward point.
asserted
Nawaz → finish → point
Pakistan finished on 327 for seven in 48.3 overs.
asserted
Pakistan → finish → overs
For Fakhar Zaman, this was an innings that answered the questions swirling around his place in the side.
asserted
that → answer → side
He had spent much of the first innings off the field after copping a blow while fielding, and came out to open with his team 22 for two inside four overs and the chase already wobbling.
asserted
chase → spend → overs
He was dropped on three by Madushanka at deep third, and again on 69 by Mahesh Theekshana, who put down a return catch and later tipped a six over the rope.
asserted
who → drop → rope
But from the wreckage of Pakistan’s top order he built an innings of substance, adding 149 with Saad Baig, who made 74 off 75 in his maiden half-century.
asserted
who → build → century
Fakhar reached his 20th ODI fifty in the 22nd over, then his 12th ODI century in the 30th, pulling Asitha Fernando in front of square off 84 balls.
asserted
Fakhar → reach → balls
He was finally bowled by Madushanka for 127 off 99 — 11 fours and six sixes — charging and missing a slog in the 34th over, walking off to a standing ovation from a full house.
asserted
He → bowl → house
If Fakhar held the chase together, Arafat Minhas won it.
asserted
Minhas → hold → it
The all-rounder walked in at 230 for five in the 37th over with Pakistan needing 96 from 78 balls, and played the innings of his young career — 61 off 31 balls, with three fours and four sixes.
asserted
Pakistan → walk → fours
His check-drive six over long-on off Madushanka in the 46th over was the shot of the night, and his two sixes and a four off Asitha in the 47th brought the target within sight.
asserted
sixes → bring → sight
He fell in the 48th over, caught-and-bowled by Asitha, and the Gaddafi Stadium rose as one.
Sri Lanka’s innings
Pakistan had won the toss and elected to field, and the decision looked sound early as Sri Lanka’s openers Kamindu Mendis and Avishka Fernando scored briskly without risk, taking the visitors past 50 without loss inside ten overs.
Pakistan had brought in Faheem Ashraf for Shadab Khan, ruled out on medical grounds after being struck by a bouncer in the fifth ODI, while Sri Lanka replaced the pace of Eshan Malinga with the spin of Mahesh Theekshana.
asserted
Lanka → fall → Theekshana
The contrasting selections suggested both sides had read the conditions differently, and Pakistan’s pace attack struggled for early impact.
It was Salman Ali Agha who provided the breakthroughs, claiming both wickets to fall before the final ten overs.
uncertain
wickets → contrast → overs
Avishka missed a sweep and was leg-before in the 18th over, and four overs later Kusal Mendis stepped out and drove the ball back at Salman, who leapt to take a superb return catch.
asserted
who → miss → catch
Beyond those two dismissals the innings belonged to Kamindu, who took charge through the middle overs and brought up his century in the 34th over, cutting Faheem over the wicket-keeper’s head.
asserted
who → belong → head
Pavan Rathnayake gave him valuable support, the pair adding 146 for the third wicket, with Rathnayake making 77 off 65 balls.
asserted
Rathnayake → give → balls
Kamindu’s 131 off 128 balls, with 12 fours and two sixes, anchored the innings.
asserted
131 → anchor → innings
At 238 for two after 40 overs, Sri Lanka looked set for a total beyond 350.
asserted
Lanka → look → 350
But Pakistan’s death bowling pulled it back.
asserted
bowling → pull → it
Shaheen trapped Kamindu leg-before in the 42nd over and dismissed Dasun Shanaka soon after for a brisk 17 off nine.
asserted
Shaheen → trap → nine
Haris Rauf had Rathnayake caught by Babar Azam at wide long-on, and he and Naseem Shah removed Dunith Wellalage and Sahan Arachchige in quick succession.
asserted
he → have → succession
Naseem’s wayward penultimate over let Sri Lanka past 320, but they lost six for 70 in the last ten overs to finish on 325 for eight.
asserted
they → let → eight
Pakistan’s reply began badly.
asserted
reply → begin → ?
Maaz Sadaqat charged Madushanka in the second over and edged to slip for five, and in the fourth Babar Azam, under scrutiny for his form, drove at a floated delivery and was caught by a solitary fourth slip — a trap set by Kusal Mendis and executed to perfection.
asserted
Azam → charge → perfection
Babar departed for a five-ball duck, and Lahore went quiet.
asserted
Lahore → depart → duck
From there on , Saad joined forces with Fakhar and steadied Pakistan’s innings.
asserted
Saad → join → innings
Saad brought up his maiden half-century in the 19th over, and Fakhar reached his 20th ODI fifty in the 22nd.
asserted
Fakhar → bring → 22nd
The pair added 149, and Fakhar rode his luck — dropped on three by Madushanka, and again on 69 by Theekshana.
asserted
Fakhar → add → Theekshana
Saad fell for 74 off 75, chipping a full delivery back to Theekshana in the 27th over.
asserted
Saad → fall → over
Fakhar, growing fluent, reached his century in the 30th over.
asserted
Fakhar → grow → over
Salman Agha made 17 before Wellalage bowled him with one that skidded under his slog sweep, and Fakhar’s innings ended in the 34th over, bowled by Madushanka for 127.
asserted
innings → make → 127
That left Pakistan 220 for four, needing 106 from 96 balls, and when Salman fell at 230 for five the game was alive again.
asserted
game → leave → five
Hasan Nawaz and Arafat Minhas steadied, then accelerated.
asserted
Nawaz → steady → ?
Arafat’s 61 off 31 turned the chase, and he and Hasan added 50 off 49 balls.
asserted
he → turn → balls
Asitha removed Arafat, caught-and-bowled, and Faheem Ashraf first ball in the same over to briefly raise Sri Lankan hopes, but Hasan and Shaheen held their nerve, and the captain’s six sealed it.
asserted
six → remove → it
The win is Pakistan’s first ODI tri-series title since the Kitply Cup in Dhaka, when they beat India in the final, and it comes days after they were bowled out for 110 by this same Sri Lankan side in the league stage — a collapse that had raised fresh questions about the batting.
asserted
that → beat → batting
Those questions were answered, at least for one night, by Fakhar, whose place in the side had itself been under discussion, and by Arafat, whose striking drew comparisons with a genuine match-winner.
asserted
striking → answer → winner
The dew that Pakistan had hoped for arrived late, but by then the hosts had found their own momentum.
asserted
hosts → hop → momentum
Sri Lanka, who had chased 430 against England in the league stage, will rue the missed chances — two lives for Fakhar, a dropped catch and a boundary conceded at deep cover — and a death-overs collapse with the bat that left them just short of a total that might have been enough.
uncertain
that → chase → total
The Aporia
