Pakistan beat Sri Lanka as Zaman’s century turns thrilling tri-series final

Fakhar Zaman century outdoes Kamindu Mendis and propels Pakistan to three-wicket win against Sri Lanka in cricket final.

Opener Fakhar Zaman overcame a bruised knee and a lean spell to score ۱۲۷ to help Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by three wickets in the final of the one-day international cricket tri-series on Saturday.

Zaman’s entertaining innings and Arafat Minhas’s robust ۶۱ off ۳۱ balls took Pakistan to a winning ۳۳۱-۷ in ۴۸.۳ overs, as the Sri Lankan bowlers found it hard to control the wet ball because of dew in Lahore.

Earlier, Kamindu Mendis’ ۱۳۱, his maiden ODI century, propelled Sri Lanka to ۳۲۵-۸ while batting first for the first time in the tournament.

Zaman came into the final with only ۳۱ runs in his last four innings and spent most of the time in the dressing room after injuring his right knee while fielding.

Pakistan lost Maaz Sadaqat for ۵ and Babar Azam for a five-ball duck, much to the disappointment of the ۳۱,۲۶۵ home fans at Gaddafi Stadium, but Zaman revived the chase with ۱۹-year-old Saad Baig, who made ۷۴ off ۷۵ balls. They put up a ۱۴۹-run stand.

Sri Lanka’s Maheesh Theekshana, playing his first match in the tri-series, missed out on claiming Zaman on ۶۹ and ۱۰۶, when he couldn’t hold on to a return catch. Theekshana dropped Zaman again, a sitter on the boundary, after reaching his century off ۸۴ balls.

Zaman’s ۹۹-ball knock finally ended in the ۳۴th over when he was clean bowled by Dilshan Madushanka with Pakistan still ۱۰۶ runs from victory. Madushanka took ۳-۶۳.

The wet ball couldn’t help Sri Lanka as the young pair of Minhas and Hasan Nawaz (۳۷ not out) kept their nerve before Asitha Fernando (۲-۷۲) added to the drama by bagging the wickets of Minhas and Faheem Ashraf off successive balls.

The other tri-series team, England, was knocked out after losing three of its four games.