DUBAI: Bhanuka Rajapaksa led the way with a magnificent knock of 71 runs before Sri Lankan bowlers displayed combined effort to defy the toss factor and defended 171 runs in the final against Pakistan to lift their sixth Asia Cup title.
Set to chase 171, Pakistan’s batting line-up failed completely and could only manage to score 147 before being bowled out on the final delivery, thus handing Sri Lanka a resounding 23 runs victory in the final.
The Green Shirts had a dismal start to their run chase as Sri Lanka’s young pacer Pramod Madushan removed Pakistan captain Babar Azam and left-handed opener Fakhar Zaman cheaply for five and a duck respectively and caused Pakistan to slip to 22/2 in the fourth over.
Pakistan wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Rizwan and Iftikhar Ahmed then anchored the run chase with a gritty 71-run partnership for the third wicket. The pair stopped the flow of wickets but remained a touch too slow in the run chase as the required run rate mounted.
Iftikhar then looked to change the momentum in accordance with the rising run rate and as a result, fell victim to Madushan in the 14th over. He scored 32 off 31 deliveries with the help of two boundaries and a six.
The side then ran into a match-defining collapse, triggered by star spinner Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva, who made three scalps in the 17th over including Rizwan, who top-scored for the side with 55 off 49 deliveries, laced with four boundaries and a six.
Following the slump, Sri Lankan bowlers then dominated Pakistan batting tail to bundle out the men in green for 147 on the final delivery, while Haris Rauf remained only the third batter to get into the double-figures.
Madushan was the pick of the bowlers for Sri Lanka as he led the way with four wickets, while Hasaranga bagged three. Chamika Karunaratne picked two wickets.
Batting first on the invitation from Pakistan captain Babar, Sri Lanka managed to finish at a commendable 170-6 in the allotted 20 overs, thanks to the gritty and anchoring knock of Rajapaksa, who remained unbeaten with his 71.
The hosts had a poor start to their inning as the side lost two wickets at a paltry 23 as Pakistan pacers Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf removed both openers Kusal Mendis and Pathum Nissanka cheaply for a duck and eight respectively.
All-rounder Dhananjaya de Silva attempted to take on Pakistan bowlers and scored at a decent pace for his important knock of 28 runs off 21 deliveries, laced with four boundaries.
Sri Lankan captain Dasun Shanaka had a forgetful outing with the bat as Shadab Khan castled the right-handed batter for a mere two and Sri Lanka, as a result, slipped to 58/5 in the ninth over.
Sri Lanka’s hero with the bat Rajapaksa then joined hands with Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva and scripted an astounding recovery for his side in the final. The pair turned the dimension of the game with a brilliant 58-run partnership for the sixth wicket.
Haris struck in the 15th over to provide a much-needed breakthrough to Pakistan as he removed Hasaranga, courtesy of a caught-behind. He chipped with a valiant cameo of 36 off 21 deliveries with the help of five boundaries and a six.
Hasaranga’s departure did not bother Rajapaksa much as he held his ground firm and kept the scoreboard ticking with assistance from Chamika Karunaratne, who scored a run-a-ball 14.
Rajapaksa top-scored for Sri Lanka in the final with a magnificent knock of 71 off 45 deliveries including six boundaries and three sixes.
Haris led the bowling attack for Pakistan with three wickets, while Naseem, Shadab, and Iftikhar Ahmed made one scalp each.
