Sri Lankan captain Kusal Mendis produced a blistering unbeaten 87 off 48 balls to steer the visitors to an eight-wicket consolation victory over Pakistan in the third Twenty20 International at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.
Chasing 169, Sri Lanka cruised to 172-2 in 17.1 overs, with Kusal and Kamindu Mendis combining in an unbroken 98-run partnership for the third wicket to complete the chase with 17 balls to spare.
Kamindu remained unbeaten on 40 off 27 deliveries, striking four fours, as Sri Lanka ended the series on a winning note after Pakistan had secured the first two matches.
The visitors never looked in trouble once the two batters settled at the crease, maintaining a scoring rate of more than 10 runs an over through much of the latter half of the innings.
Kusal’s commanding knock included nine fours and four sixes, as he repeatedly found gaps and punished Pakistan’s wayward bowling. His innings featured a mixture of powerful drives, deft improvisation and clean hitting down the ground, leaving the hosts unable to stem the flow of runs.
Sri Lanka suffered an early setback when Lahiru Udara was trapped leg-before-wicket by Imran Randhawa for one in the second over. Imran produced a delivery that swung sharply from wide of off stump to strike the left-hander on the back pad, giving Pakistan an encouraging start.
However, Sineth Jayawardena and Kusal quickly shifted the momentum. Jayawardena attacked from the outset, striking Salman Mirza for a six over deep midwicket and carving another delivery over point for four. Kusal joined the charge with a straight six off Razaullah before delicately ramping a short ball over the slip cordon.
The pair took Sri Lanka to 59-1 at the end of the powerplay, their best such return of the series, with Jayawardena contributing 30 off 18 balls and Kusal 24 off 16.
Jayawardena continued to find boundaries, pulling Imran over deep midwicket for six and driving over extra cover for four. But his entertaining 38 off 26 balls ended in the eighth over when he attempted to loft Arafat Minhas over the infield and picked out Razaullah at long-on, leaving Sri Lanka at 74-2.
The dismissal proved to be Pakistan’s last breakthrough. Kusal and Kamindu took control with a blend of calculated aggression and smart running, exploiting gaps in the field while capitalising on loose deliveries. Pakistan’s bowlers struggled to maintain their lines, while missed opportunities and lapses in execution allowed the required rate to fall steadily.
Kusal brought up his half-century in 33 balls with a jab through the off side in the 13th over. He celebrated the milestone by dancing down the track to launch Arafat over long-off for six, with fielder Abdul Samad unable to complete the catch after losing his balance near the boundary.
Kamindu complemented his captain’s power with elegant strokeplay. He drove crisply through extra cover, sent a lofted cover drive racing to the boundary off Salman and pierced the infield with a straight drive against Razaullah. The pair brought up Sri Lanka’s 100 in the 11th over, with the visitors already well ahead of the asking rate.
Pakistan’s errors compounded their difficulties. Sufyan Moqim failed to hold a return catch offered by Kusal in the 15th over, while the bowlers repeatedly offered scoring opportunities through short deliveries and loose balls outside off stump. Poor execution at the death further underlined the hosts’ inability to contain the Sri Lankan batters.
Kusal shifted through the gears in the closing overs, upper-cutting Salman over the wicketkeeper for four before launching a regal straight drive over the bowler’s head for six. Kamindu, meanwhile, kept the scoreboard moving with well-timed strokes and quick singles as the target came within reach.
The foundation for Sri Lanka’s victory had been laid earlier by their bowlers, led by Dasun Shanaka’s miserly three-wicket haul. Shanaka returned figures of three for 21 in four overs, removing Khawaja Nafay, Imran and Samad to prevent Pakistan from building momentum through the middle overs.
Pakistan had been reduced to 86-5 before captain Sahibzada Farhan and Arafat mounted a recovery. Farhan top-scored with 76 off 47 balls, hitting seven fours and three sixes, while Arafat remained unbeaten on 34 from 20 deliveries.
The pair added 66 runs for the seventh wicket, rescuing Pakistan from 102-6 and lifting them to 168-8. Farhan reached his third consecutive half-century before falling to Nuwan Thushara for 76 in the penultimate over, while Arafat’s late assault included two fours and two sixes.
Despite their efforts, Pakistan’s total proved insufficient against Sri Lanka’s clinical chase.
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