Sri Lankan captain Kusal Mendis produced a blistering unbeaten 87 off 48 balls to steer the visitors to an eight-wicket consolation victory over Pakistan in the third Twenty20 International at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.
asserted
Mendis → produce → Tuesday
Chasing 169, Sri Lanka cruised to 172-2 in 17.1 overs, with Kusal and Kamindu Mendis combining in an unbroken 98-run partnership for the third wicket to complete the chase with 17 balls to spare.
asserted
Kusal → chase → balls
Kamindu remained unbeaten on 40 off 27 deliveries, striking four fours, as Sri Lanka ended the series on a winning note after Pakistan had secured the first two matches.
asserted
Pakistan → remain → matches
The visitors never looked in trouble once the two batters settled at the crease, maintaining a scoring rate of more than 10 runs an over through much of the latter half of the innings.
asserted
batters → look → innings
Kusal’s commanding knock included nine fours and four sixes, as he repeatedly found gaps and punished Pakistan’s wayward bowling.
asserted
he → include → bowling
His innings featured a mixture of powerful drives, deft improvisation and clean hitting down the ground, leaving the hosts unable to stem the flow of runs.
asserted
innings → feature → runs
Sri Lanka suffered an early setback when Lahiru Udara was trapped leg-before-wicket by Imran Randhawa for one in the second over.
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Udara → suffer → over
Imran produced a delivery that swung sharply from wide of off stump to strike the left-hander on the back pad, giving Pakistan an encouraging start.
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that → produce → start
However, Sineth Jayawardena and Kusal quickly shifted the momentum.
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Jayawardena → shift → momentum
Jayawardena attacked from the outset, striking Salman Mirza for a six over deep midwicket and carving another delivery over point for four.
asserted
Jayawardena → attack → four
Kusal joined the charge with a straight six off Razaullah before delicately ramping a short ball over the slip cordon.
asserted
Kusal → join → cordon
The pair took Sri Lanka to 59-1 at the end of the powerplay, their best such return of the series, with Jayawardena contributing 30 off 18 balls and Kusal 24 off 16.
asserted
Kusal → take → 16
Jayawardena continued to find boundaries, pulling Imran over deep midwicket for six and driving over extra cover for four.
asserted
Jayawardena → continue → four
But his entertaining 38 off 26 balls ended in the eighth over when he attempted to loft Arafat Minhas over the infield and picked out Razaullah at long-on, leaving Sri Lanka at 74-2.
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he → end → 2
The dismissal proved to be Pakistan’s last breakthrough.
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dismissal → prove → ?
Kusal and Kamindu took control with a blend of calculated aggression and smart running, exploiting gaps in the field while capitalising on loose deliveries.
asserted
Kusal → take → deliveries
Pakistan’s bowlers struggled to maintain their lines, while missed opportunities and lapses in execution allowed the required rate to fall steadily.
asserted
rate → struggle → execution
Kusal brought up his half-century in 33 balls with a jab through the off side in the 13th over.
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Kusal → bring → over
He celebrated the milestone by dancing down the track to launch Arafat over long-off for six, with fielder Abdul Samad unable to complete the catch after losing his balance near the boundary.
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Samad → celebrate → boundary
Kamindu complemented his captain’s power with elegant strokeplay.
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Kamindu → complement → strokeplay
He drove crisply through extra cover, sent a lofted cover drive racing to the boundary off Salman and pierced the infield with a straight drive against Razaullah.
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He → drive → Razaullah
The pair brought up Sri Lanka’s 100 in the 11th over, with the visitors already well ahead of the asking rate.
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visitors → bring → rate
Pakistan’s errors compounded their difficulties.
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errors → compound → difficulties
Sufyan Moqim failed to hold a return catch offered by Kusal in the 15th over, while the bowlers repeatedly offered scoring opportunities through short deliveries and loose balls outside off stump.
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bowlers → fail → stump
Poor execution at the death further underlined the hosts’ inability to contain the Sri Lankan batters.
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execution → underline → batters
Kusal shifted through the gears in the closing overs, upper-cutting Salman over the wicketkeeper for four before launching a regal straight drive over the bowler’s head for six.
asserted
Kusal → shift → six
Kamindu, meanwhile, kept the scoreboard moving with well-timed strokes and quick singles as the target came within reach.
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target → keep → reach
The foundation for Sri Lanka’s victory had been laid earlier by their bowlers, led by Dasun Shanaka’s miserly three-wicket haul.
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foundation → lay → haul
Shanaka returned figures of three for 21 in four overs, removing Khawaja Nafay, Imran and Samad to prevent Pakistan from building momentum through the middle overs.
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Shanaka → return → overs
Pakistan had been reduced to 86-5 before captain Sahibzada Farhan and Arafat mounted a recovery.
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Farhan → reduce → recovery
Farhan top-scored with 76 off 47 balls, hitting seven fours and three sixes, while Arafat remained unbeaten on 34 from 20 deliveries.
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Arafat → score → deliveries
The pair added 66 runs for the seventh wicket, rescuing Pakistan from 102-6 and lifting them to 168-8.
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pair → add → 168
Farhan reached his third consecutive half-century before falling to Nuwan Thushara for 76 in the penultimate over, while Arafat’s late assault included two fours and two sixes.
asserted
assault → reach → fours
Despite their efforts, Pakistan’s total proved insufficient against Sri Lanka’s clinical chase.
asserted
total → prove → chase
The Aporia
