Lahiru Udara’s 55-ball 91 was overshadowed by quick-fire half-centuries from Sahibzada Farhan and Maaz Sadaqat as Pakistan took a 1-0 lead in the three-match T20I series with a four-wicket win in the opening T20I in Rawalpindi. Udara’s 55-ball 91, which included 11 fours and a six, was the cornerstone of Sri Lanka’s 182 for 8, with the next best score being 23. Pakistan surpassed Sri Lanka’s total with an over and a delivery to spare, thanks to Farhan’s 53-ball 89 (10 fours, 4 sixes) and a 29-ball 50 (with 4 fours and 3 sixes) from Sadaqat.
Pakistan got going in the chase with Farhan and Fakhar Zaman edging away a couple of boundaries. Zaman struck three boundaries off Dushmantha Chameera in the second over while Farhan hit a four and a six off Nuwan Thushara in the next. An economical over from Eshan Malinga was followed by another expensive over from Chameera, with Farhan and Zaman scoring three fours between them in the fifth over to bring up a brisk half-century stand. The partnership was ended by Malinga who got Zaman top-edging a cut. Sadaqat, fresh off two hundreds in the CPL, signalled his intent with a no-look six, followed by another maximum and a four, as he powered Pakistan to 70 for 1 at the end of the Powerplay.
Farhan and Sadaqat continued finding the boundaries as they extended their partnership past 50, taking Pakistan past 100 before the 10th over was completed. Sadaqat struck his third six, going over long on off Dunith Wellalage, before Farhan reached a 33-ball fifty in the same over. A 28-ball half-century for Sadaqat followed, before Farhan struck a six and two fours off Maheesh Theekshana to extend the partnership into the 90s. But the stand couldn’t reach the three-figure mark as Sadaqat fell in the same over, trapped lbw. Chameera then bagged his 100th T20I wicket by having Hasan Nawaz caught down the leg-side but Pakistan were in pole position, having moved to 156 for 3 after 15 overs, needing only 27 more.
The equation was 24 runs off 24 balls after Theekshana conceded only three runs in the 16th over, bagging the wicket of Saim Ayub. Sri Lanka tried to extend their fight with a quiet six-run over from Wellalage, but Farhan rendered that moot by taking 14 off Thushara. Although Farhan was dismissed eventually by Thushara, he brought it down to 4 off 12 balls. Malinga tried to add some twist with the wicket of Shadab Khan but Khawaja Nafay’s six in the same over sealed the deal.
Earlier, after Sri Lanka opted to bat, Naseem Shah struggled for control in the opening over, bowling six wides before he got Kusal Mendis caught at third man. It wasn’t the best of starts for Sri Lanka as only a couple of boundaries came in the first four overs, and Mohammad Imran Randhawa also had Kamil Mishara top-edging a pull. Lahiru Udara and Kamindu Mendis then managed a few fours to take Sri Lanka to 45 for 2 at the end of the Powerplay. Udara and Kamindu added 60 in quick time but the partnership came to an end in the 10th over as Kamindu was caught at long off in Ayub’s over. A boundary for Udara in the same over helped Sri Lanka to 83 for 3 at the halfway stage.
While Udara was striking well at one end, wickets continued to fall at the other end as Sahan Arachchige was the next to depart, caught at backward point off Randhawa. Udara went on to bring up a 32-ball fifty while Dasun Shanaka struggled to get going at the other end. He finally hit his straps by getting a six off Shadab, with Nawaz at the deep not able to keep the ball in play despite a good attempt. Udara went after Razaullah, getting a six and a four in the 15th over, along with four more via byes, as Sri Lanka moved to 132 for 4.
Shanaka and Udara added 57, with the former also striking a six off Shadab before getting out to the spinner on 18. Naseem conceded five more wides when he came back for his third over, as Sri Lanka reached 150 in the 17th over. Udara struck a four off Abrar Ahmed before Naseem, for the third time in the game, bowled down the leg side and conceded five wides. He made amends by having Wellalage bowled and then had Udara caught at long on. Razaullah accounted for the wicket of Maheesh Theekshana in the final over but Chameera managed a boundary to push Sri Lanka past the 180 mark.
Brief Scores: Sri Lanka 182/8 in 20 overs (Lahiru Udara 91 off 55, Kamindu Mendis 23 off 18; Naseem Shah 3-36, Mohammad Imran Randhawa 2-21) lost to Pakistan 187/6 in 18.5 overs (Sahibzada Farhan 89 off 53, Maaz Sadaqat 50 off 29; Eshan Malinga 2-33) by 4 wickets.
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