Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul-Haq admitted that his side missed Saeed Ajmal in the first two matches. After losing a nail-biting first ODI against Pakistan, hosts, Sri Lanka came back strongly to win the second game by a convincing margin of 77 runs. On his part, Misbah-ul-Haq believes that Pakistan were in a good position in the second game, but the bowlers lost the plot with Thisara Perera smashing them during the end overs. A total of 101 runs were conceded by Pakistan in the last 10 overs and when it came to their turn to bat, the visitors, from 192/4, were bundled out for 233. It was complete domination by Sri Lanka in the second game and the Pakistan skipper will be hoping for an improved performance from his team-members on all fronts in the deciding match of the series.
Sri Lanka vs Pakistan, 3rd ODI Live Cricket Score at Dambulla
Meanwhile, the hosts will be confident after their win in the second match and they will be looking extend their momentum. Sri Lanka did not do too badly in the first match. They posted a competitive 275 and had even reduced Pakistan to 106/5. However, Sohaib Maqsood and Fawad Alam's record stand came to Pakistan rescue as the visitors managed to take a 1-0 lead. Sri Lanka came back strongly in the second game, posting a commanding 310 before bowling out the visitors in the 44th over to secure a comfortable 77-run win. Angelo Mathews, Mahela Jayawardene and Perera were the stars with the bat while most of the bowlers got amongst the wickets. The home team will be hoping for another strong performance in the final match as both teams prepare for the World Cup.
"The pitch is quite dry, but the ball will come onto the bat nicely. It should be a good batting strip and the team winning the toss will opt to bat first. A total around 275 will be very challenging," said Russel Arnold.
Pakistan captain Misbah won the toss and decided to bat first. Saeed Ajmal was back in the side, replacing Junaid Khan, who was expensive in his previous two outings. Sri Lanka also made one change, bringing in Dhammika Prasad for Nuwan Kulasekara.
Teams:
Pakistan (Playing XI): Ahmed Shehzad, Sharjeel Khan, Mohammad Hafeez, Umar Akmal(w), Misbah-ul-Haq(c), Fawad Alam, Sohaib Maqsood, Shahid Afridi, Wahab Riaz, Saeed Ajmal, Mohammad Irfan
Sri Lanka (Playing XI): Upul Tharanga, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara(w), Mahela Jayawardene, Angelo Mathews(c), Seekkuge Prasanna, Ashan Priyanjan, Thisara Perera, Dhammika Prasad, Rangana Herath, Lasith Malinga
Pakistan suffered an early setback as Sharjeel Khan departed in the 3rd over without scoring. It was a fine delivery, pitched just short of length and moving away, and the opener, who was drawn into the drive, ended up nicking the ball to Mahela Jayawardene at second slip.
In the next over, Lasith Malinga trapped Mohammad Hafeez in front. The batsman, who fell over while trying to work one to the leg side, opted for the review but replays revealed that the on-field umpire was right, and Pakistan lost their third wicket for 14 runs.
Misbah's outing was cut short in the 16th over when he was run out for 18. Misbah hesitated a bit before responding to Fawad Alam's call after playing the ball to cover. A direct hit from Tillakaratne Dilshan found the skipper well short of the crease. Pakistan were in more trouble when Umar Akmal became the fifth to depart. Looking to pull a short delivery from Thisara Perera, Akmal failed to get the timing right and hit the ball towards mid on, where Malinga took a tumbling catch. With the wicket, Perera picked up his 100th ODI scalp while leaving Pakistan reeling at 55/5.
Sohaib Maqsood, who was Pakistan's hero in the first ODI, failed in this game as he became Perera's second scalp in the 23rd over. It was a good short delivery that took the batsman by surprise. Maqsood tried his best to counter it, but could not get his gloves away in time, and Kumar Sangakkara took a brilliant catch diving to his left to send the batsman back on 7. Shahid Afridi, as usual, threw his wicket away. Going for a big shot off Prasanna in the 24th over, the all-rounder sliced the ball over extra cover towards Perera, who took a good running catch.
Perera then picked up his third wicket, getting rid of Wahab Riaz for nought in the 25th over. Poking outside off to a delivery that moved away, Riaz was given out caught-behind, although there did not appear to be any nick. However, the tail-ender could not opt for the DRS as Pakistan had already wasted their only available review.
There was some relief for Pakistan as a steady drizzle forced the players off the field after the 26th over. The visitors were 81/8 at that stage.
Mohammad Irfan and Alam hung around for a while to help Pakistan past 100 before the former became the last to depart. Going for a big heave over mid-wicket, Irfan missed the ball completely and was castled by Rangana Herath in the 33rd over. Pakistan were bowled out for a paltry 102, their second lowest total against Sri Lanka and their lowest in Sri Lanka.
It was a dispiriting performance from the visitors, who opted to bat first but never quite got going. Sharjeel Khan looked like a fish out of water, Ahmed Shehzad and Mohammad Hafeez blocked everything that came their way before being dismissed. Fawad Alam and Misbah-ul-Haq resisted for a while, but Pakistan collapsed after their skipper was run-out. Fawad just watched from the other end as batsman after batsman fell to reckless shots, none more than Umar Akmal and Shahid Afridi. They were 81/8 when rain came to offer them some respite. The visitors limped past 100 before being bundled out in the 33rd over.
It's now a simple task on hand for Sri Lanka as they look to reach the target in minimum time and clinch the series.
Sri Lanka faced a D/L revised target of 101 runs in 48 overs. Dilshan got his side off to a quick-fire start, as he looked to get as much as possible before the lunch break. he dealt in regular boundaries to power Sri Lanka forward in the small chase. There was a leg-before shout in the 4th over and Pakistan even opted for the DRS, but a big inside edge saved the right-handed opener, denying Riaz a wicket. While Dilshan was positive, Upul Tharanga complemented him well, playing the ideal second fiddle before playing on a Irfan delivery in the 7th over to depart on 14. Sri Lanka were 46/1 at lunch.
Dilshan continued positively after the break, powering Sri Lanka past the 50-run mark in the 9th over. Kumar Sangakkara though did not spend much time at the middle, edging Riaz to Hafeez at second slip to depart on 2 in the 10th over. Mahela, who came in at number 4, got off the mark with a lovely square drive to take Sri Lanka to 65/2 after 10 overs.
While Dilshan and Mahela were taking Sri Lanka closer, Pakistan missed an opportunity to send back the former. Saeed Ajmal put down catch off his own bowling in the 14th over, giving the opener an extended stay. Mahela scored his third boundary in the 15th over when he played a commanding pull off Riaz. in the same over, Dilshan edged one to the third man boundary to enter the 40s. A total of 12 runs came off that over as Sri Lanka moved to 91/2, 10 away from a series win.
With just one run required, Mahela fell to Ajmal in the 18th over to leave Sri Lanka three down. The batsman failed to pick the doosra and, while trying to leave, the ball clipped the face off his bat into the hands of Hafeez at first slip. In the following over, Dilshan cut Afridi behind point for a boundary to bring up his 38th ODi fifty as Sri Lanka won by 7 wickets with 29.4 overs to spare to clinch the series 2-1.
It was total dominance by Sri Lanka today. Asked to field first, Angelo Mathews' played well as an unit to make life really difficult for the visitors. Comeback man Dhammika Prasad hit the right areas and troubled the top-order. In the process, he accounted for Sharjeel and Shehzad before Malinga trapped Hafeez in front.
Misbah and Fawad steadied the ship for a while, but the former was brilliantly run-out by a Dilshan direct-hit and after that, it was all downhill for the visitors. Thisara continued to have a good time with the ball. He bagged four wickets and was instrumental in Sri Lanka's grand show today. Fawad was fighting a lone battle as none of his teammates were willing to spend quality time in the middle.
Chasing a paltry total, Dilshan scored at a brisk pace before the break and later ensured that Sri Lanka went past the line comfortably with a fifty.
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