Fakhar's century and Shaheen's last-over six: Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by three wickets

Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka by three wickets in a tri-series encounter, powered by Fakhar Zaman's 127-run knock and a last-over six from Shaheen Afridi. Sri Lanka, batting first, posted 325 for 8 in 50 overs, setting Pakistan a target of 326. Pakistan reached the target with three wickets in hand, but the path was far from smooth. There was a phase when the team struggled, partnerships broke at regular intervals, and the win had to wait until the closing overs. The finish was dramatic. With Pakistan just two runs away from victory, Minhas and Faheem Ashraf were dismissed in quick succession. The team lost its seventh wicket and the match was thrown open again. It was then that Shaheen Afridi, under pressure, cleared the boundary to seal the win for Pakistan. Notably, the same Shaheen had earlier dismissed Kamindu Mendis and Dasun Shanaka during Sri Lanka's innings. A single player contributing with both bat and ball shows that this victory was not the story of one hero, but of several small and large contributions. The biggest story of Sri Lanka's innings was Kamindu Mendis, who scored 131. It was the highest score of his ODI career, more than double his previous best. In other words, a batsman who had never previously crossed even the mid-60s produced a century in this match and redefined his own ceiling. But the innings could not deliver a win for the team, and in the end the century proved to be in vain. The way Kamindu handled the Pakistani bowlers early in the innings and held the middle order together was a big signal for Sri Lanka, but the score of 131 went to waste on the scoreboard because the team fell short. Kamindu found support from Pavan Rathnayake, who made 77. Rathnayake's form in this series has been outstanding — he has aggregated 427 runs at an average of 106.75. That figure, however, needs to be read with care, because the average is built on just four innings, and an average over so few innings carries little statistical meaning. Still, it is clear that Rathnayake has been piling on runs consistently and showing consistency in his batting. Sri Lanka's innings included two big partnerships of 87 and 146, which laid the foundation for a total beyond 300. The most startling part of Sri Lanka's innings was its finish. After 41 overs, the team was 255 for 2 and a total around 350 seemed certain. But in the last nine overs, Sri Lanka lost six wickets and collapsed to 325 for 8. Those nine overs proved to be the most decisive passage of the match. Pakistan's comeback in that phase kept Sri Lanka to 325 instead of 350 — and in the end, that difference of 25 to 30 runs proved decisive. Shaheen Afridi played a key role in that collapse, while Haris Rauf took two wickets in the closing overs. Haris used the short ball and troubled the Sri Lankan batsmen. It is worth noting that just four days earlier, Sri Lanka had been bowled out for 110. Moving from 110 to 325 in such a short span is a big turnaround, but there is no clear answer in the available information about what caused it. Did the pitch change, did the Sri Lankan batsmen change their approach, or did Pakistan's bowling drop a level? The match report does not discuss these questions. All that can be said is that this time Sri Lanka batted first and put up a big total, but it was not enough for victory. Pakistan's chase began poorly. The team lost two early wickets and was 14 for 2. The biggest blow came in the form of Babar Azam, who was dismissed for a duck. Babar had gone nine innings without a half-century and could not do much in this match either. Maaz was out as the first wicket and Babar returned to the pavilion as the second. Pakistan's chase once again seemed to depend on a special innings from Babar, but that did not happen. In that difficult phase, Saad Baig took charge. He played an innings of 74, his first international half-century. What makes it special is that the innings came just hours before his 20th birthday. For a young batsman, scoring a first international fifty on the eve of his birthday is a memorable moment, and Saad produced it under pressure. He lifted Pakistan out of the early jolts and laid the foundation for the team to reach a big target. Fakhar Zaman played an innings of 127, which became the biggest base of Pakistan's victory. He scored quickly and kept the team moving. His half-century came off 52 balls and his century off 84. But there is another side to this innings that cannot be ignored. Fakhar was dropped three times — at 6, at 69, and at 106. In particular, Maheesh Theekshana dropped him twice. In other words, this century was made by a batsman who was put down three times. Had even one of those catches been taken, the course of the match could have changed completely. Fakhar built partnerships through the middle overs and brought the team close to the target. The most important was the 94-run stand between Minhas and Nawaz. That partnership pulled Pakistan out of a difficult situation and carried them into the final phase. During this phase, a rapid 61 off 31 balls also came, which gave Pakistan's innings momentum. However, that partnership did not win the match by itself; it merely made the situation simpler — because even after it, the team had to fight for victory. At one point, Pakistan needed 46 runs from 30 balls. Then a 15-run over changed the equation. That was the phase in which Pakistan accelerated and pulled the match towards themselves. The details of the overs after that are not fully clear, but it is certain that Pakistan absorbed the pressure in the closing overs and secured the win. In bowling, Shaheen Afridi's role was important in both innings. He dismissed Kamindu Mendis and Dasun Shanaka in Sri Lanka's innings and gave Pakistan a way back. He also helped stop Sri Lanka from scoring at an even higher rate. Haris Rauf took two wickets in the closing overs and troubled the Sri Lankan batsmen with short deliveries. Minhas's left-arm spin, meanwhile, proved expensive — the report acknowledges that runs were conceded, but gives no concrete figure for how many. This is a gap that prevents the reader from gauging the true weight of the bowling effort. Another important context for this match is that it was part of a tri-series that also featured England alongside Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The schedule, the points table, and which matches were played are not discussed in detail, but it is clear that Pakistan strengthened its position in the series with this win. The most disappointing aspect for Sri Lanka was that despite Kamindu's 131 and Rathnayake's 77, the team lost. Kamindu's century was the highest score of his career and more than doubled his previous best. But that is how cricket goes — individual centuries do not always guarantee team victories. The most accurate analysis of Pakistan's win is that it did not belong to one player. Fakhar's 127, Saad Baig's 74, the 94-run partnership between Minhas and Nawaz, Shaheen's two wickets and final six, and Haris's two wickets — the combined contribution of all of these was the real reason for the win. To credit only Fakhar's century for the victory would be unfair to all the other contributions that changed the course of the match. It is also worth noting that Pakistan's chase went through a very difficult phase. After losing two wickets for 14, the team was under pressure and had to fight continuously for the win. Had Sri Lanka taken all three of Fakhar's catches, the result could have been different. Dropping catches is part of cricket, but in this match it was directly linked to the outcome. Sri Lanka's bowlers created good pressure early on, but conceded runs in the middle overs and could not stop the win in the closing overs. The team had put up a big total of 325, and early wickets were essential to defend it. They did get two wickets for 14, but after that they could not break the partnerships, which allowed Pakistan to keep moving forward. In the end, this match became an example of how even a big score can be overturned if a team collapses in the closing overs. Sri Lanka were 255 for 2 at 41 overs but lost six wickets in the last nine overs and stopped at 325. That collapse became Pakistan's chance to win. There are several positives for Pakistan from this win. In Saad Baig, the team has found a young batsman who scored a half-century under pressure. Fakhar's return to form is a good sign, although he was dropped three times. Shaheen's contribution with both ball and bat is the biggest relief for the team. But there are concerns too. Babar Azam's poor form is a worry, because in a long series the top order's form matters a great deal. Minhas's spin was expensive, which shows a lack of balance in the bowling attack. The answers to these questions will come in the matches ahead. Overall, this match made one thing clear — victories in cricket do not come on the strength of one player. Fakhar's 127, Saad Baig's 74, the 94-run partnership of Minhas and Nawaz, Shaheen's double contribution and Haris's late wickets — together they gave Pakistan the win. And for Sri Lanka, the lesson is how far a journey from 255 for 2 to 325 for 8 can take a victory away.