Mendis, Shanaka help Sri Lanka deny Pakistan a clean sweep with eight-wicket win
Kusal Mendis struck an unbeaten 87 off 48 balls as Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by eight wickets in the third T20I on Tuesday, denying the hosts a series whitewash. Sri Lanka reached 172/2 in 17.1 overs after Pakistan had posted 168/8.
After scores of 1 and 9 in the first two matches, the Sri Lankan captain responded with the unbeaten 87 that anchored the chase. Mendis won his third consecutive toss and chose to bowl first, a move the visitors said paid dividends as they restricted Pakistan before the chase. Pakistan had taken the series lead by winning the opening match by four wickets and securing the second game by 82 runs, a contest in which the hosts amassed 215, their second-highest total in the format.
Sahibzada Farhan top-scored for Pakistan with 76 off 47 deliveries as the hosts struggled through the middle overs. Former Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka finished with 3/21 and spinner Vijayakanth Viyaskanth recorded 1/23, efforts that helped reduce Pakistan to 102/6 in the 14th over. Farhan received limited opportunities to get on strike during that period.
Arafat Minhas provided late resistance with an unbeaten 34, surviving a run-out chance off his first delivery when Mendis failed to collect the ball cleanly at the striker’s end. Pakistan accumulated 59 runs in the final five overs to close on 168/8, but Nuwan Thushara struck twice in the final two deliveries to halt the late charge. Farhan’s innings ended when he top-edged a delivery to Shanaka inside the circle, and Razaullah was bowled around his legs off the final ball.
Sri Lanka began the chase aggressively despite losing Lahiru Udara to Mohammad Imran’s first delivery. Sineth Jayawardena attacked the pace bowlers during the powerplay and made 38 before holing out to long-on in an eventful over from Minhas. That over also featured a missed stumping by wicketkeeper Khawaja Nafay and saw Minhas injure his little finger after dropping a difficult return catch.
Kusal Mendis then took charge of the pursuit, combining with Kamindu Mendis for an unbeaten 98-run partnership off 55 deliveries. Kamindu remained not out on 40 from 27 balls while Kusal struck nine fours and four sixes to finish 87 not out. Pakistan bowlers Razaullah conceded 37 runs from 19 deliveries and Salman Mirza returned figures of 0/40 from his three overs as the chase was completed comfortably.
Both teams will now turn their attention to an ODI tri-series involving England that begins in Rawalpindi on Sunday. Having already secured the T20 series, Pakistan rested several key players for the final T20I, including Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed, Shadab Khan and Saim Ayub.