4.53 AM Friday, 29 March 2024
  • City Fajr Shuruq Duhr Asr Magrib Isha
  • Dubai 04:56 06:10 12:26 15:53 18:37 19:52
29 March 2024

Malinga fires Sri Lanka to first win in UAE

Published
By Allaam Ousman

Lasith Malinga fired Sri Lanka to a spectacular 25-run victory over Pakistan in a thrilling day-night one-day international at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Monday to level the series 1-1.

Malinga struck crucial blows, including twice in the first over of Pakistan's innings, as Sri Lanka successfully defended their total of 235 for seven after electing to bat first for their first win in the UAE tour.

The Sri Lankan pace ace captured his 150th one-day international wicket to finish with figures of three for 36 as Pakistan were bowled out for 210 in 46.3 overs with last man Aizaz Cheema being run out.

Umar Akmal, let off on 16 when a leaping Angelo Mathews at silly mid off failed to hold onto a chance, and Sarfraz Ahmed kept alive Pakistan's hopes of a victory with a fighting 62-run partnership for the sixth wicket after they had stumbled to 102 for five at the halfway stage.

Akmal top scored with a belligerent 91 off just 102 balls which contained eight fours and a six. He was particularly severe on Dilhara Fernando whom he belted for three successive boundaries before holing out to mid on where Dinesh Chandimal took a tumbling catch.

It became 164 for seven as Ahmed was trapped leg before by a toe crusher from Malinga in the first ball of a fresh over though TV replays showed it would have gone down the leg side.

Pakistan's innings seemed to be thrown into disarray at 169 for eight when Thisara Perera got into the act to trap Umar Gul leg before for a duck.

Their batting powerplay had yielded just 26 runs for the loss of three wickets.

Pakistan showed they still had fight left in them as Shahid Afridi smashed a 14-ball 29 which contained three fours and a six off Malinga.

Having been given a life on eight by Fernando who dropped a skier off Malinga's bowling and surviving a close run-out call, Afridi's dismissal to a direct hit by Dilshan effectively ended Pakistan's hopes.

Malinga rocked Pakistan by dismissing Muhammad Hafeez for his 150th one-day international wicket and Younus Khan caught behind by Kumar Sangakarra within the space of two balls in the first over while fellow paceman Thisara Perera reduced them to 11 for three in the fourth by trapped Imran Farhat leg before.

Umar Akmal joined skipper Misbah ul Haq and salvaged the innings during a 64-run partnership for the fourth wicket.

Akmal went on the offensive pummelling paceman Dilhara Fernando twice in consecutive balls to the fence in one over and smashing him for a massive six over long on in the next.

He completed his ninth half century in one-day internationals in the process.

But Fernando got some measure of revenge when he trapped leg before Misbah with a peach of a delivery while Abdul Razzaq perished attempting a difficult second run failing to beat a throw from Jeewan Mendis.

Muhammad Hafeez clipped Malinga's first ball to the midwicket fence but the pacer got his revenge two balls when the opener got a faint outside edge to be caught behind by wicket keeper Kumar Sangakkara.

On-fire Malinga then removed Younus Khan for a duck in similar fashion two balls later thanks to a brilliant one-handed catch by Sangakkara diving in front of first slip of the large gathering of Sri Lankans who had thronged the stadium despite it being a week day.
 

Pakistan were reduced to 11 for three in the fourth over when Thisara Perera trapped Imran Farhat leg before with the left hander who stood his ground being unsuccessful with a referral.

Earlier, fighting half centuries from opener Upul Tharanga (77) and Mahela Jayawardena (50) lifted Sri Lanka to 235 for seven.

Tharanga and Jayawardene were associated in a 85-run partnership for the fourth wicket after skipper Tillakaratne Dilshan won the toss for the second time in the five-match series.

Sri Lanka, who were shot out for the lowest total in Dubai of 131 on Friday, got the best possible start with the openers Tharanga and Dilshan posting 56 runs in 11.2 overs before being separated.

But their innings failed to gather steam as the Pakistan spin trio of Saeed Ajmal, Shahid Afridi and Muhammad Hafeez pegged them back.

After Afridi got one through the gate of Dilshan, former skipper Kumar Sangakkara and Dinesh Chandimal also never got going.

Sangakkara being deceived by a slower one from paceman Abdul Razzaq and offering a simple return catch while Chandimal struggled to make 15 off 37 balls before being bowled by Ajmal as Sri Lanka's innings stuttered at 94 for three in the 27th over.

Former skipper Jayawardena steadied the innings playing some exquisite strokes on either side of the wicket.

Tharanga grew in confidence to post his 20th half century off just 65 balls capitalising on two dropped chances at 15 and 31.

Sri Lanka's innings finally gathered some momentum when they took the batting powerplay in the 36th over as it yielded 48 runs.

But Tharanga fell in the 42nd over miscuing a pull to Younis Khan off Afridi while Angelo Mathews did not last long being caught behind by Sarfraz Ahmed off Aizaz Cheema as Sri Lanka slipped again to 189 for five.

Tharanga faced 120 balls during his knock which was spiced with eight hits to the ropes, including twice in succession off Ajmal.

Jayawardena departed in the 48th virtually throwing his wicket away moving to leg to swat him on the off only for Ajmal to rattle his stumps with straight delivery. Jayawardene's 61st one-day half century which came off just 57 balls contained five boundaries. 

There was a late flurry with Jeevan Mendis smacking a boundary and Thisara Perera hoisting Ajmal for the first six of the match before being stumped in the penultimate ball of the innings.

Dilshan and Upul Tharanga negotiated the hostile pace of Umar Gul and Aizaz Cheema to keep the scoreboard ticking with some edgy boundaries to post 49 runs without loss in the first 10 overs.

It took a splendid delivery from leg spinner Shahid Afridi to break the partnership with the total on 56 in the 12th over - Dilshan attempting to cut him on the back foot only to hear his stumps being rattled.

But Sri Lanka suffered a setbackin the 15th over when Sangakkara departed.

Tharanga was given a life on 15 when Imran Farhat at cover point failed to hold on to a low catch off Cheema in the 15th over with the total on 32. He was also let off by wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed on 31.

Dilshan continued to bat aggressively crashing successive short deliveries off Cheema to square leg and mid wicket fence.

He also brought up the 50 partnership, the 19th with Tharanga,  by cutting Abdul Razzaq's first delivery to backward point.

But he was bamboozled by a delivery from Afridi's second ball which went through his gate. His knock of 28 contained four boundaries having faced 40 balls during his knock.

Sri Lanka made two changes from the side which lost the first day-night match here on Friday, bringing in paceman Thissara Perera and Jeevan Mendis in for Suranga Lakmal and Kosala Kulasekara.

Mahela Jayawardene recovered from a knee injury and was retained.

Pakistan made no change from the team which won the first one-day.

Scoreboard

Sri Lanka innings 
U. Tharanga c Younus Khan b Shahid Afridi     77 
T. Dilshan b Shahid Afridi                    28 
K. Sangakkara c and b Abdul Razzaq             5 
D. Chandimal b Saeed Ajmal                    15 
M. Jayawardene b Saeed Ajmal                  50
A. Mathews c Sarfraz Ahmed b Aizaz Cheema      3 
J. Mendis not out                             17 
T. Perera st Sarfraz Ahmed b Saeed Ajmal      13 
L. Malinga not out                             2 
Extras (lb-8, w-16, nb-1)                     25 
Total (seven wickets, 50 overs)              235 
Did not bat: S. Prasanna, D. Fernando
Fall of wickets: 1-56 2-65 3-94 4-179 5-189 6-210 7-233 
Bowling: Gul 7-1-35-0 (1nb, 5w), Cheema 8-0-56-1 (4w), Ajmal 10-0-61-3 (5w), Razzaq 7-1-18-1 (1w), Afridi 10-1-35-2, Hafeez 8-1-22-0
   
Pakistan innings 
Mohammad Hafeez c Sangakkara b Malinga     4 
Imran Farhat lbw b Perera                  3 
Younus Khan c Sangakkara b Malinga         0 
Misbah-ul-Haq lbw b Fernando              21 
Umar Akmal c Chandimal b Fernando         91 
Abdul Razzaq run out                      11 
Sarfraz Ahmed lbw b Malinga               24 
Shahid Afridi run out                     29 
Umar Gul lbw b Perera                      0 
Saeed Ajmal not out                        8 
Aizaz Cheema run out                       6 
Extras (b-1, lb-5, w-7)                   13 
Total (all out, 46.3 overs)              210   
Fall of wickets: 1-4 2-4 3-11 4-75 5-102 6-164 7-164 8-169 9-199 10-210 
Bowling: Malinga 9-0-36-3 (5w), Perera 9-1-30-2, Fernando 9-0-54-2 (2w), Prasanna 9.3-1-38-0, Dilshan 1-0-3-0, Mendis 9-0-43-0