Sri Lanka 148 for 1 (Nissanka 98*, Kusal 25*, Evans 1-36) beat Zimbabwe 146 for 5 (Burl 37*, Hasaranga 2-23, Theekshana 2-23) by nine wickets
Pathum Nissanka found a timely return to form as he struck a devastating 98 off 58 deliveries to help Sri Lanka chase down a target of 147 against Zimbabwe in just 16.2 overs, with nine wickets to spare, in what was a must-win game in Rawalpindi.
The result gives Sri Lanka their first win on the tour, and snaps a five-match losing streak in T20Is.
It now means Sri Lanka go into their final game against Pakistan on Thursday knowing that a win will mean they qualify for the final of the tri-series.
Before Nissanka’s blitz, Sri Lanka’s bowlers had done well to restrict Zimbabwe to a sub-par total of 146 for 5. Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga ended with identical innings-best figures of 2 for 23, as Zimbabwe struggled to push their innings into high gear.
There were starts for Brian Bennett and Sikandar Raza, but both fell at inopportune moments, while a final flourish from Ryan Burl was still not enough to challenge a strong Sri Lanka batting performance.
The rest of the Zimbabwe batting once more fell flat. There was also a debut for Pavan Rathnayake, though Nissanka ensured Rathnayake was not required to bat.
But here, with Sri Lanka chasing a middling total and needing a win to stay in contention for the final, Nissanka finally got one to stick.
Sri Lanka produced their best powerplay of the series – 64 for 1 – with Nissanka accounting for 37 of those runs.
Through the middle overs, Sri Lanka struck a further 73 – and Nissanka 51 of those. And only three death-overs deliveries were needed to seal the chase – a wide, a four, and a mammoth six.
Full or short, it didn’t matter, Nissanka dealt with them all just the same. There were sweeps off seamers, flat-batted wallops over extra cover, slaps down the ground, and mega pulls right across the square boundary.
Richard Ngarava was singled out in particular, with the tall left-arm seamer being taken for four fours and three sixes.
Nissanka struck 11 fours and four sixes in total.
Such was Nissanka’s control over proceedings that the final shot of the chase – a front-foot pull for six over backward square leg – had Nissanka looking up at the sky with a wry smile.
No, not in celebration, rather disbelief that he had struck six when he intended to hit a four, as the latter would have allowed him to make a run at a second T20I century. – Cric Info
