Spinners and Fatima Sana has lead Pakistan to defeat a sluggish Sri Lanka
Pakistan scored 116 in 20 overs, where as Sri Lanka scored 85/9 in 20 overs.
So, finally Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by 31 runs.
Fatima Sana delivered a valuable cameo late in the innings, and Pakistan’s spinners effectively restricted Sri Lanka on a slow wicket in Sharjah, securing a convincing 31-run victory in the first T20 World Cup matchup between the two teams in a decade.
Opting to bat first, Pakistan was bowled out for 116 but successfully contained Sri Lanka, who struggled to gain momentum after the early loss of Chamari Athapaththu during the chase.
Despite initial questions regarding her decision to bat, Pakistan’s captain Sana was vindicated as Sharjah witnessed minimal dew in the second innings, allowing her spinners to dominate, even after losing fast bowler Diana Baig to a suspected calf injury early in their defensive effort.
Athapaththu, eager to chase, aimed to limit Pakistan to under 120 runs.
Her team excelled in this regard, delivering a strong bowling performance until Sana’s crucial knock at the end.
As per their recent strategy, Pakistan attempted aggressive batting during the powerplay but were consistently hindered by regular wickets.
Sugandika Kumari struck on the last ball of the second over, thanks to a sharp catch from Anushka Sanjeewani, dismissing Gull Feroza.
Muneeba Ali hit a six off left-arm medium-pacer Udeshika Prabodhani before becoming Sugandika’s second victim, with Sanjeewani holding on to a tough catch after Muneeba edged an attempted cut.
By the end of the powerplay, Pakistan found themselves three down for just 32 runs, with Athapaththu completing a return catch off Sidra Amin’s miscue.
Nida Dar and Omaima Sohail attempted to stabilize the innings with a 25-run partnership, but just as Pakistan began to build momentum, they lost another wicket.
Kavisha Dilhari, who had been slog-swept for six earlier, bowled a floaty delivery that Omaina mishit, resulting in a catch to square leg.
Prabodhani returned to claim Dar for 23 with a well-executed change-up, while Athapaththu struck twice in the 14th over, dismissing Tuba Hassan and Aliya Riaz— the former via an excellent catch and the latter through a straightforward LBW decision.
At 74 for 7, which soon became 84 for 8, Pakistan appeared unlikely to reach 100 runs.
However, captain Sana spearheaded a resilient stand with Nashra Sandhu, adding 28 runs for the ninth wicket, of which Sandhu contributed only four off 12 balls.
Sana, meanwhile, scored 30 runs off 20 balls, hitting three fours and a six while expertly managing the strike before falling on the first ball of the final over.
Pakistan added just four more runs before being bowled out on the last ball of the innings.
In the second innings, Pakistan lost Baig to injury after just one ball, but once again, their captain stepped up.
After a couple of length deliveries, Sana bowled a fuller ball that had Athapaththu chipping a catch to extra cover.
Omaima followed suit, striking twice by dismissing the in-form Harshitha Samarawickrama and Hasini Perera, leaving Sri Lanka in a precarious position at 35 for 3.
The second wicket was a classic off-spinner’s delivery, drifting into the left-handed Perera before turning sharply to hit the top of off-stump.
Sandhu claimed two wickets of her own, while Sadia Iqbal picked up three lower-order dismissals as Sri Lanka’s batters struggled to accelerate the scoring.
Ultimately, Sri Lanka managed only three boundaries in their innings, failing to hit any after the eighth over, leading to a predictable and uninspired conclusion.
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