RAWALPINDI, November 29, Saturday (ePRESS) – Sri Lanka were bowled out for just 114 runs in 19.1 overs while batting first in the final of the Pakistan T20I Tri-Series in Rawalpindi, leaving fans shocked. Spinners dominated the innings, taking five key wickets for just 47 runs, putting Sri Lanka under constant pressure after a promising start.
Openers Pathum Nissanka and Kamil Mishara started confidently, with Nissanka hitting a massive six off Shaheen Afridi. However, Nissanka fell cheaply repeating his mistake from a previous match, leaving Mishara to anchor the innings. Mishara counter-attacked brilliantly, hitting four sixes and two fours scoring 59 off 47 balls, guiding Sri Lanka to 81-1 after ten overs.
The middle order struggled against Pakistan’s spin attack. Kusal Mendis held one end with 14 runs, while Pavan Ratnayake, who batted in his first Twenty20 international innings, was sent in to stabilize the innings but fell quickly. Mishara was caught brilliantly by Babar Azam off part-timer Saim, triggering a collapse as Sri Lanka lost three wickets in quick succession to be 98-3 in 13.1 overs.
Kusal Perera survived a close lbw review but soon skied a shot to be caught, while Ratnayake was held at long mid-off by Babar Azam. Janith Liyanage and captain Dasun Shanaka came in but Liyanage was bowled for a duck by left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz. By the 17th over, Sri Lanka had lost seven wickets for just 111 runs, with Wanindu Hasaranga failing to break the drought of boundaries in the last ten overs.
Nawaz ended with figures of 4-0-17-3, completely sedating Sri Lanka’s momentum. Sri Lanka were finally bowled out for 114 in 19.1 overs, a total far below expectations, leaving fans at home, already hit by devastating floods and landslides from Cyclone Ditwa, with little to cheer.
