Irfan, Shehzad hand Pakistan the series, Sri Lanka v Pakistan 4th ODI review

Irfan, Shehzad hand Pakistan the series, Sri Lanka v Pakistan 4th ODI review: Those who expect a Pakistan collapse every time in a ODI game will have to rethink now. Pakistan today completed a comfortable routing of Sri Lanka by 6 wickets, to win their first series in 9 years in the Lankan nation. Choosing to bat at the Premadasa Sri Lanka did not have an ideal start when Perera was removed by the lanky Irfan early on. The second wicket partnership of 100 looked promising but once the men in green managed to breakthrough the Sri Lankans never quite recovered. The win also took Pakistan closer to the qualifying for the Champions Trophy, 2017. Drama, nerves and uncharacteristic turn of events are the things you normally associate with Pakistan.

After restricting Sri Lanka to a paltry 256 the Pakistan batsmen got the target easily with 9 overs to spare courtesy a lackluster Sri Lankan bowling performance. The fielders cut out the singles, the bowlers choked the scoring rate and the batsmen played freely. The result was Sri Lanka went from 170 for 3 to score only 86 in the last 14 overs.

The Pakistan innings began with a surprise. Sri Lanka decided to use Malinga early as an attacking option but Azhar Ali and Shehzad took his first three overs for 20. When it seemed like pace on ball was flying, the hosts went to spin only to see Shehzad jump out of the crease and belt Sachith Pathirana back over his head first ball for a six. The other pacers Lakmal and Nuwan Pradeep lacked penetration.

The ninth over of Malinga suggested it wouldn’t have made a difference if he had many more left in his bag.  Shehzad whipped him for successive fours to reach 71, and Pakistan were now 116 for 1 in 20 overs. While Hafeez accelerated from 7 off 24 to the eventual 70 off 88, Shehzad never really slowed down.

The Sri Lankan batting was as much about their inability to build on a fabulous second wicket partnership as about the skillful Pakistan bowling. From the time left-arm spinner Imad Wasim, playing only his second match, combined an arm ball with low bounce to remove Dilshan at 109 for 2 in the 23rd over, the spinners planted a web around Sri Lanka. Often six men stayed inside the circle, and the spinners ran through their overs, building pressure dot by dot. Between them the three spinners – Yasir Shah, Wasim and Shoaib Malik – conceded just 108 in 24 overs.

The first victim of the pressure was Angelo Mathews. Yasir Shah had been negotiated well by Dilshan and Thirimanne, but Mathews found it tough to face Wasim and Malik. Rahat Ali got him caught at mid off in his first over after coming back into the attack.

Amid all this Thirimanne went on smoothly, driving and late-cutting his way towards a hundred. Now, though, with an inexperienced lower middle order with him Thirimanne had to make a decision: bat till the 50th over or hit a few shots to take some pressure off the youngsters. The sweep proved to be one too many and he gave Shehzad a simple catch off the bowling of Yasir Shah after being dropped earlier of the same bowler.

Brief Scores:

Sri Lanka- 256/9 (L Thirimanne 90; M Irfan 3-50)

Pakistan- 257/3 40.5 overs (A Shehzad 95; M Siriwardana 1-28)

won by 7 wickets (with 55 balls remaining)

Player of the match- Ahmed Shehzad (Pakistan)