Afridi powers Pakistan to ODI series win

Pakistan pulled off a dramatic 26-run victory over Sri Lanka in the fourth day-night one-day international at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

Chasing a modest target of 201, Sri Lanka collapsed in a heap losing seven wickets for 19 runs to go from 155 for three to 174 all out in 45.2 overs.

Man of the match Shahid Afridi captured five for 35 to take an unassailable 3-1 lead in the one-day series.

Afridi's act with the ball followed his blistering knock of 75 which helped Pakistan recover from 120 for seven to make 200 in 49.3 overs after electing to bat first.

Half centuries by veteran Sri Lankan batsmen Kumar Sangakkara (58) and Mahela Jayawardena (55) had appeared to put them on course.

But Sri Lanka had not reckoned that Afridi, who hurt his ankle while trying to prevent a boundary, would come back and turn the match around in spectacular fashion.

The dashing all-rounder drove the Pakistan supporters into a frenzy at a stadium packed to near capacity and celebrating its 201st one-day international.

"I'm happy to perform for the team and Pakistan. I'm happy that we won the series. But the next game is more important," said Afridi referring to fifth one-day match of the series which takes place in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.

Afridi said he was happy to play a lead role.

"I like to perform like this in every match," said Afridi, playing after a six month gap which saw him retire from international cricket in protest over being sacked as one-day captain.

"Sri Lanka were in a winning position but captain (Misbah-ul Haq) said we needed just one wicket and I was lucky that I got Sangakkara out."

Sri Lankan captain Dilshan said the collapse was unbelievable.

"It's unbelieveable to lose seven wickets for 20 odd runs," said Dilshan. "Afridi batted and bowled well so it was disappointing to lose from a winning position."

Sri Lanka's fourth wicket pair batted calmly to steer Sri Lanka towards the target after they had slipped to 53 for three in the 13th over.

But Sangakkara's dismissal in the 38th over raised Pakistan's hopes of a victory.

"I can't believe we lost the game after being 150 for three. The target was easily gettable. There is no one to take responsibility and finish off the game," said a disappointed Sri Lanka skipper Tillakaratne Dilshan. "The bowlers did a wonderful job but the batting unit failed."

"It was a great team effort. That is the key our performance," said Pakistan skipper Misbah ul Haq.

"Today was 'Boom Boom' Afridi's day. They had just to get 50 runs but he comes and takes five wickets. It was a magnificent performance."

Sangakkara completed his 66th one-day half century which contained six hits to the ropes while Jayawardena reach his 66th ODI fifty during this partnership.

But Afridi got the breakthrough when he sneaked one through Sangakkara's defence.

Angelo Mathews lasted just four balls before being caught behind by Sarfaraz Ahmed off Saeed Ajmal as Sri Lanka stumbled to 156 for five.

New batsman Jeevan Mendis came under intense pressure when Pakistan appealed for leg before decision but the referral was unsuccessful.

He lasted just seven balls with Afridi trapping him leg before as Sri Lanka collapsed to 161 for six.

Jayawardena's vigil came to an end when a lapse in concentration saw him drive uppishly to extra cover where Hafeez to a superb tumbling catch in the 44th over off Afridi. Jayawardena's knock of 55 off 87 balls contained two boundaries and magnificently swept six off Ajmal.

Sekkuge Prasanna went for a duck with Afridi diving to his left and taking a brilliant catch.

Lasith Malinga managed to stave off the hat-trick ball but was trapped leg before in Ajmal's next over.

When Sri Lanka began their run chase, Upul Tharanga was the first to go in the fourth over falling to the trap laid by Aizaz Cheema.

The left hander had picked a couple of boundaries in Cheema's first over. But having edged wide of the slips to the third man for his third boundary in the previous delivery before his dismissal, Tharanga could not resist repeating it again with Younus Khan taking a sharp head high catch at slips.

Skipper Tillakaratne Dilshan also thumped two consecutive boundaries to long off and extra cover to raise the tempo but was unfortunate to be dismissed caught behind by Sarfaraz Ahmed off Cheema with Sri Lanka's decision referral being unsuccessful despite TV replays showing he may not have got an edge.

Dinesh Chandimal brought up Sri Lanka's 50 in the 11th over with two consecutive boundaries off Umar Gul, the first edge past slips and the other hit through the covers.

But more significantly Shahid Afridi hurt his right ankle while diving to save the boundary but fortunately for Pakistan returned to the field after getting treatment.

The introduction of spin in the 12th over proved to be another turning point in the game as Chandimal displayed his immaturity by attempting an audacious paddle sweep off Muhammad Hafeez's fourth delivery only to find his stumps rattled for Sri Lanka to slip to 53 for 3.

The Guinness World Records certificate in recognition of Sharjah Stadium hosting the most number of one-day internationals was presented during the break to Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and Chairman of the Emirates Cricket Board, and Abdulrahman Bukhathir, Chairman of the Sharjah Cricket Council.

Earlier, Pakistan were struggling at 71 for five in the 24th over when Afridi walked into the thunderous roar of the partisan crowd which filled the stadium to near capacity.

The former Pakistan one-day captain who came back from retirement for this series, did not disappoint after surviving a confident leg before decision in the first ball he faced from leg spinner Jeevan Mendis and then smashing the next ball he faced from Lasith Malinga to the cover boundary.

Pakistan opting to bat first on what turned out to be a slow-paced wicket lost five wickets for 40 runs at one stage and had slumped to 120 for seven in the 35th over when Afridi found a useful partner in Saeed Ajmal.

The pair posted 61 runs for the eighth wicket with Afridi receiving a standing ovation after his entertaining half century which came off just 65 balls and contained three sixes and two boundaries.

Leg spinner Sekkuge Prasanna came in for stick in the 43rd over as Afridi drove the first two deliveries to the long boundary and then hoisted him into the stands to bring up their 50 partnership. Dilhara Fernando also dropped a skier in the same over but it did not turn out to be costly as Afridi was caught behind by Kumar Sangakkara off Thisara Perera in the next over.

Earlier, Sri Lanka's pace ace Fernando found the deck to his liking as he grabbed two wickets while the spin duo of Prasanna and Mendis kept the Pakistan batsman under wraps.

Fernando had the best return of three for 26 while Mendis and Prasanna claimed two wickets apiece.

After Pakistan benefited from some loose deliveries in the opening overs bowled by Malinga and Perera, the introduction of Fernando changed the complexion of the match.

Fernando struck with his very first delivery to left hander Imran Farhat who got a faint tickle to a leg side delivery to be brilliantly caught by a diving Kumar Sangakkara one-handed for 10 with the total on 18. Farhat had two boundaries in his knock.

Muhammad Hafeez and Younus Khan batted with caution to repair the damage though runs were difficult to come by with the introduction of spin after 10 overs which yielded 34 runs.

The pair added 37 runs for the second wicket before Prasanna struck in the 16th over.

Hafeez attempted to sweep him out of the ground only to see it going down the throat of Dinesh Chandimal on the midwicket fence with the total on 57. Hafeez cracked three boundaries in his knock of 27 off 51 balls.

Fernando returned to remove Khan with the first ball of a new spell. The former Pakistan skipper failed to read a slower delivery from Fernando and scooped it to Mendis at short cover.

Shoaib Malik's agonising 22-ball struggle at the crease for two runs ended when he misread a googly from Mendis to be fourth out at 69.

Mendis succeeded in getting rid of Umar Ukmal during an eventful 24th over in which both Pakistan and Sri Lanka were successful with decision referrals.

Akmal survived after being adjudged leg before by Pakistan umpire Zameer Haider. Three balls later a confident appeal for a leg before was turned out which was reversed after a TV review.

Sri Lanka were unsuccessful with a referral for a leg before decision against Shahid Afridi in the same over.

Afridi sent Malinga's first ball of a new spell crashing through the covers to thunderous applause and also slammed a massive six off Mendis into the main grandstand.

But Pakistan slipped to 97 for six in the 28th over when Misbah ul Haq was run out attempting a suicidal run from the non-striker's end.

Misbah opened his account with an uncharacteristic reverse sweep off Prasanna who trapped Sarfaraz Ahmed leg before in the 35h over with Pakistan being unsuccessful with the decision referral.

Pakistan failed to press on the accelerator during the batting powerplay overs which yielded only 20 runs with Malinga tieing up Saeed Ajmal in knots.

However, Afridi reached his 32nd half century in one-day internationals with a massive six off Prasanna over extra cover. It was his first 50 in 16 ODIs, having made a comeback from retirement during this tour.

Scoreboard

Pakistan innings: 
Muhammad Hafeez c Chandimal b Prasanna  27 
Imran Farhat c Sangakkara b Fernando    10 
Younus Khan  c Mendis b Fernando        18 
Misbah-ul-Haq run out                   16 
Shoaib Malik  lbw b Mendis               2 
Umar Akmal lbw b Mendis                  2 
Shahid Afridi c Sangakkara b Perera     75 
Sarfraz Ahmed lbw b Prasanna            10 
Saeed Ajmal lbw b Fernando              20 
Umar Gul b Malinga                       7 
Aizaz Cheema not out                     3 
Extras (lb-2, w-8)                      10 
Total  (all out; 49.3 overs)           200 
Fall of wickets: 1-18 2-57 3-62 4-69 5-71 6-97 7-120 8-181 9-191 
Bowling: Malinga 9.3-0-38-1 (1w), Perera 10-1-36-1(1w), Fernando 10-3-26-3(1w), Mendis 9-0-40-2, Prasanna 10-1-55-2 (4w), Dilshan 1-0-3-0
   
Sri Lanka innings: 
U. Tharanga c Khan b Cheema      16 
T. Dilshan c Sarfraz b Cheema      11 
K. Sangakkara  b Afridi          58 
D. Chandimal b Hafeez            11 
M. Jayawardene c Hafeez b Afridi 55 
A. Mathews c Ahmed b Ajmal        0 
J. Mendis lbw b Afridi            2 
T. Perera c Akmal b Afridi        7 
S. Prasanna c & b Afridi          0 
L. Malinga lbw b Ajmal            4 
D. Fernando not out               0 
Extras (lb-3, w-6, nb-1)         10 
Total (All out; 45.2 overs)     174 
Fall of wickets: 1-18 2-37 3-53 4-155 5-156 6-161 7-168 8-168 9-174 
Bowling: Gul 6-0-19-0, Cheema 8-0-48-2(2w), Hafeez 8-1-23-1, Malik 5-1-17-0(1nb, 2w), Ajmal 9-1-29-2 (1w), Afridi 9.2-0-35-5 (1w).

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