Pakistan beat Sri Lanka to win ODI Tri-Series title: Stats
What's the story
Pakistan clinched the ODI Tri-Series title after defeating Sri Lanka by three wickets in the final match. The game was played at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Saturday. Fakhar Zaman led the charge with a brilliant century, scoring 127 runs off 99 balls. He was ably supported by Arafat Minhas, who scored a blistering 61 off just 31 balls and Saad Baig, who smashed 74 runs.
Match details
How Pakistan's innings panned out
Pakistan started their innings on a shaky note, losing two wickets for just 14 runs.
However, Fakhar and Baig (74 off 75 balls) steadied the ship with a massive third-wicket partnership of 149 runs.
Minhas also shone and smashed a breezy 61-run knock.
Captain Shaheen Afridi hit the winning runs with a six over deep-midwicket off Dilshan Madushanka.
Earlier, Afridi had also taken the crucial wicket of Sri Lanka's centurion Kamindu Mendis to trigger a collapse in their batting order.
Bowling highlights
Mendis, Rathnayake shine for Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka's Kamindu Mendis scored a brilliant 131 runs, while Pavan Rathnayake contributed with a solid 77 off 65 balls.
However, Pakistan's bowlers Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Naseem Shah struck twice each in the final nine overs of Sri Lanka's innings.
Afridi ended up with impressive figures of two for 50 from his 10 overs.
Batting brilliance
A well-deserved ton for Fakhar
Fakhar paced his innings beautifully, scoring 72 of his runs on the leg side.
He was particularly brutal against spinners and less-accomplished seamers.
Fakhar reached his 12th ODI hundred off the 84th ball he faced.
After Fakhar's dismissal in the 34th over by Madushanka, Pakistan still needed 106 runs but their required rate was less than 6.5 runs an over for the last 16.5 overs.
Match conclusion
A fiery knock from Minhas
Minhas bided his time in the first 14 balls he faced, hitting no boundaries. But after the 42nd over, he exploded with a flurry of runs.
He scored 48 runs off the last 17 balls he faced, hitting four sixes and three fours.
Minhas's explosive innings helped Pakistan chase down Sri Lanka's target with nine balls to spare, clinching the series title in style.
Information
Madushanka claims 3-fer for Sri Lanka
Madushanka led Sri Lanka's way with the ball. He bowled 9.3 overs and claimed 3/63. Asitha Fernando bowled 9 overs and managed 2/72. Maheesh Theekshana picked 1/57 from 10 overs. Dunith Wellalage bowled 10 overs and clocked 1/58.
Kamindu
Kamindu clocked his maiden ODI hundred
Kamindu's knock of 131 came off 128 balls. He slammed 12 fours and 2 sixes.
With this knock, he raced to 878 runs from 31 ODIs at 31.35. He clocked his maiden ODI hundred (50s: 5).
In six ODIs versus Pakistan, Kamindu has amassed 300 runs at 60 (100s: 1, 50s: 1).
Meanwhile, in 19 away ODIs, he has 593 runs at 39.53 (100s: 1, 50s: 4).
Pavan
Pavan Rathnayake smashes 77 versus Pakistan
Rathnayake's 77 came off 65 balls. He slammed 8 fours. With this knock, he raced to 724 runs at 60.33 with three centuries and 2 fifties under his belt.
In 4 ODIs against Pakistan, Rathnayake now owns 211 runs at 70.33 (50s: 2).
As per Cricinfo, playing his 102nd match in List A cricket, Rathnayake raced to 3,592 runs at an average of 49-plus.
He slammed his 17th fifty in 50 overs cricket and also has 9 hundreds under his belt.
Babar
Babar Azam records his sixth duck in ODI cricket
Pakistan cricket team's Babar Azam fell for a duck.
He ended up scoring a five-ball duck with Pakistan reeling at 14/2 while chasing a target of 326.
Playing his 148th match, Babar now owns six ducks in ODIs. He has scored 6,744 runs at 52.27 (100s: 20, 50s: 27).
He clocked his maiden ODI duck versus Sri Lanka. Babar also recorded his maiden ODI duck on home soil.
Meanwhile, he has 3 away ODI ducks and one across neutral venues.
Fakhar
Fakhar Zaman surpasses 4,000 ODI runs with 12th hundred
Fakhar's knock of 127 had 11 fours and six sixes. He faced 99 balls.
He now owns 4,019 runs from 97 ODIs at 44.65. He recorded his 12th hundred (50s: 19).
Fakhar is now the 16th Pakistan batter to surpass 4,000 ODI runs.
As per Cricinfo, this was his maiden hundred versus Sri Lanka (50s: 5). He owns 645 runs versus Sri Lanka at 43.
Information
22nd hundred in List A cricket
Fakhar clocked his 21st hundred in List A cricket. From 177 matches, he owns 7,723 runs at an average of 45-plus. Besides his 21 hundreds, he has smashed 41 fifties.
Duo
Baig and Minhas shine
Baig's 74 had 11 fours. He now owns 185 runs from 5 ODIs. He averages 37 and clocked his maiden hundred.
Minhas' knock of 61 had 3 fours and 4 sixes.
He clocked his 2nd ODI fifty.
In 8 ODIs, he owns 209 runs at 29.85. His strike rate reads 99.52.
Do you know?
Joint-highest chase in an ODI final
As per Cricbuzz, this is the joint-highest chase in an ODI final, level with that India vs England game at Lord's in 2002. Pakistan chased down a target of 326 (331/7).