Pakistan win second match too
ThePapareNews article
Pakistan took a 2-0 lead in the three-match T20I series between the touring Sri Lanka side and hosts Pakistan with a match still to play.
Pakistan claimed an 82-run win in the second match between the two sides at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on the 11th.
Invited to bat first after Sri Lanka's captain won the toss, Pakistan posted 215 for the loss of only 3 wickets, and in reply Sri Lanka could manage only 133 for 7.
Sri Lanka came into this match with three changes, bringing in Sineth Jayawardena, Chamindu Wickramasinghe and Binura Fernando in place of Kamil Mishara, Dunith Wellalage and Dushmantha Chameera, who played the previous match. Of these, this was Sineth Jayawardena's first appearance for the Sri Lanka national T20I side.
Pakistan too made two changes for this match. Accordingly, Shadab Khan and Salman Mirza were included in place of Razaullah and Naseem Shah, who played the previous match.
Sri Lanka team
Kusal Mendis (captain and wicketkeeper), Lahiru Udara, Sineth Jayawardena, Kamindu Mendis, Sahan Arachchige, Dasun Shanaka, Chamindu Wickramasinghe, Maheesh Theekshana, Binura Fernando, Eshan Malinga and Nuwan Thushara.
Pakistan team
Sahibzada Farhan (captain), Fakhar Zaman, Maaz Sadaqat, Hasan Nawaz, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Khawaja Nafay (wicketkeeper), Muhammad Imran, Salman Mirza and Abrar Ahmed.
Batting first, Pakistan's innings featured three productive partnerships. Openers Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman put on 55 off 41 balls for the first wicket, Sahibzada Farhan and Maaz Sadaqat added 88 off 48 balls for the second, and Maaz Sadaqat and Hasan Nawaz built a stand of 72 off 31 balls for the third.
Pakistan's top scorer was Maaz Sadaqat, who fell off the final ball of the innings. The 21-year-old left-hander departed having made 96 off 51 balls with 7 sixes and 6 fours. That is his highest score in an innings in T20I cricket.
In addition, captain Sahibzada Farhan recorded his second successive half-century of the series in this match. Dismissed as the second wicket to fall, he had made 73 off 44 balls with 4 fours and 5 sixes.
Fakhar Zaman also made 22 off 17 balls with 4 fours, while Hasan Nawaz finished unbeaten on 19 off 9 balls with a six and a four.
With the ball, Dasun Shanaka, Eshan Malinga and Maheesh Theekshana each took a wicket.
In Sri Lanka's reply, the most productive passage was the 50-run seventh-wicket stand between Chamindu Wickramasinghe and Maheesh Theekshana. That partnership, compiled off 42 balls, was broken by the dismissal of Chamindu Wickramasinghe. He departed having made 29 off 24 balls with a four and a six.
Maheesh Theekshana was unbeaten on 32 off 26 balls with 4 fours when the Sri Lankan innings ended.
Kamindu Mendis also made 23 off 19 balls with 2 fours and a six, while Sineth Jayawardena made 22 off 21 balls with 4 fours.
No other Sri Lankan batter could get past single figures, and Mohammad Imran recorded the best bowling of the innings with 3 wickets for 11 runs. Salman Mirza took two wickets, while Saim Ayub and Shadab Khan claimed one each.
Match summary scorecard
- Pakistan – 215 for 3 (20.0) Sahibzada Farhan 73, Fakhar Zaman 22, Maaz Sadaqat 96, Hasan Nawaz 19 not out
- Sri Lanka – 133 for 7 (18.5) Sineth Jayawardena 22, Kamindu Mendis 23, Chamindu Wickramasinghe 29, Maheesh Theekshana 32 not out, Salman Mirza 2/28, Mohammad Imran 3/11
Pakistan won by 82 runs.
Player of the match – Maaz Sadaqat (Pakistan)
The third and final T20I between the two sides is scheduled to be played at the same ground on the 13th of this month.
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Based on ThePapare reporting