Pakistan win T20 opener by 7 wickets

Friday, October 27, 2017 - srilankacricket.lk

By Srian Obeyesekere reporting from Abu Dhabi

Pakistan won the first T20 day-night match against Sri Lanka by 7 wickets making 103 for 3 wickets in 17.2 overs having bowled out Sri Lanka for 102 in 18.3 overs at the Sheik Sayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Sri Lanka started well reducing Pakistan to 2 wickets for 18 runs in 5.1 overs. First to go was Fakhar Zaman bowled by Vikum Sanjaya for 6 off 10 balls and Pakistan had lost the first wicket for 10 in 2.3 overs. Off spinner sachith Pathirana struck in the very first ball of his second over accounting for the prize wicket of Babar Azam for 1 off 8 balls stumped by Sadeera Samarawickrema and Sri Lanka had made early inroads with Pakistan on 2 for 18 by the sixth over. But the advent of Shoaib Malik saw Pakistan go past the 50 mark without further loss. It was 55 for 2 just past the halfway mark in 10.2 overs with Ahmed Shehzad clawing away to 19 off 28 with Malik on 22 But when it seemed Pakistan had got off the hook Sri Lanka claimed a third wicket that of Shehzad. The bowler was Vikum Sanjaya for his second wicket having the opener caught behind by Samaraweera to make it 3 for 64 by the third ball of the 12^thover. Shehzad made 22 off 32. But Malik stood strong to carry his side home remaining unbeaten on 42 off 31 with 4 boundaries with Mohammad Hafeez on 25 off 23 inclusive of 3 hits to the ropes.

Sri Lanka was dismissed for 102 in 18.3 overs after been sent in to bat by Pakistan at a run rate of 5.51. Once again the Sri Lankan batsmen were undone by the sheer venom of Pakistan’s pace bowling attack. Sri Lanka lost the next 4 wickets for just 17 runs in 4.1 balls to be reduced to 7 for 68. Gone were Ashan Priyanjan for 12, Mahela Udawatte for 8, Dasun Shanaka for a duck and Sachith Pathirana for 4. Hasan Ali ended up with career best figures of 3 wickets for 23 off 3.3 overs.

The slide started with the dismissal of Dilshan Munaweera in only the third ball of the match bowled by Imad Wasim for a duck. Munaweera was beaten by sheer pace as he lunged forward to be clean bowled by Wasim. The early loss at 1 for 1 put the onus on the rest of the batsmen. Next man in Sadeera Samrawickrema strived to take the attack to the Pakistan bowlers coming down the pitch and reeling off a marveling stroke for a boundary to mid wicket off the menacing Usman Khan. He was associated in a 28-run alliance for the second wicket with Dhanushka Gunathilaka who was dismissed for 18 caught behind by Safraz Ahmed bowled by Usman Khan. He lasted 11 balls striking three boundaries.

By the eighth over Sri Lanka had reached 45 for 2 wickets with Samarawickrema on 22 off 21 with 2 boundaries and 50 was hoisted in the last ball of the eighth over by Priyanjan taking a single off Shadab Khan. But one ball later Sri Lanka lost the wicket of Samarawickrema who was comprehensively bowled by Faheem Ashraf playing outside the line of a good length ball that swung in and hit the leg stump. He made 23 off 23 inclusive of two boundaries. Sri Lanka was on 51 for 3 wickets in 8.2 overs. In 10 overs Sri Lanka was on 58 for 3 but lost Priyanjan in the very first ball of the eleventh over and it was 58 for 4. Priyanjan made 12 off 20 with no boundaries. Past the halfway mark Sri Lanka was on 66 for 5 wickets having lost Mahela Udawatte too for 8 LBW to Mohammad Hafeez for 8 off 9 balls having struck a solitary boundary. Wickets continued to tumble with Dasun Shanaka lasting just three deliveries. He was out for a duck stumped by Ahmed off Hafeez and Sri Lanka was badly placed on 66 for 6. Sachith Pathirana departed four balls later caught and bowled Hasen Ali and Pakistan had reducd Sri Lanka to 68 for 7 in 12.3 overs. It seemed skipper Thisara Perera came in to bat far too late at the tail at No.9 after Pathirana’s dismissal in the third ball of the twelfth over, and with the mounting pressure fell for 6 off 7 deliveries with a solitary boundary. The decision to bat so late was a cave in negative decision. When the Sri Lankan captain departed Sri Lanka was in dire straits at 8 for 85 in 15.5 overs. Number eight batsman Seekuge Prasanna used the long handle to remain unbeaten on a run a ball 23 striking two sixes to take Sri Lanka past the three figure mark.