Abu Dhabi: Sri Lanka, staring at a series defeat, put up another dismal performance to set Pakistan a modest total of 209 for victory after Hasan Ali blew them away with his career-best figures of five for 34 in the third day-night One Day International at the Shaikh Zayed Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.
With the five-wicket haul, Ali became the fastest Pakistani bowler to get 50 wickets in 24 matches eclipsing Waqar Younis, who was the previous quickest to the milestone in 27 matches.
Ali also became the leading wicket-taker of 2017 with 40 wickets from 16 matches — overtaking Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan (36 in 13 matches) and England’s Liam Plunket (36 in 18 matches).
Unlike the previous encounter, there were no demons in the wicket but there was poor application from a low-on-morale Sri Lanka side, who had lost nine matches in a row prior to the game.
Sri Lanka, struggling with their batting, brought in Chamara Kapugedera and pacer Dushmantha Chameera in place of Kusal Mendis and Suranga Lakmal.
With the series at stake, Sri Lanka skipper Upul Tharanga, who scored an unbeaten century in his team’s lost cause in the second ODI, started from where he had left after electing to bat.
With Tharanga scoring at a brisk pace, his partner Niroshan Dickwella took his time to settle. Junaid Khan and Rumman Raees were not very effective in the first spell and the Lankan 50 was on board in the ninth over. However, immediately after that, Dickwella (18) played on to Ali to give Pakistan their first breakthrough.
This series has been a struggle for wicket-keeper batsman Dickwella as, in the two earlier outings also, he had forgettable scores of 19 and three.
While Tharanga reached his 34th 50 in 58 deliveries, Sri Lanka’s Test captain Dinesh Chandimal, also struggling for form, made a scratchy start again.
Pakistan immediately seized the opportunity to stem the run flow. Chandimal’s miserable stay at the crease for 19 off 49 balls was ended once again by the teenage leg-spinner Shadab Khan. Chandimal once again failed to pick the googly from Khan and was caught plumb in front of the crease. A call for a review was more out of desperation than anything else.
With Khan then getting rid of the well-set Tharanga (61 off 80 balls) in his next over, it was certain that the Islanders would struggle to post a challenging total.
It was a nothing delivery from Khan and Tharanga could have smashed it anywhere but all he managed was a top edge to find Fakhar Zaman at backward square-leg.
Lanka then slipped to 137 for five in 33 overs after Kapugedera failed to handle the bounce from Hasan Ali and ended up scooping it back to the bowler, who then started off his trademark explosive celebrations.
With Ali then getting rid of Jeffery Vandersay for a duck and Junaid Khan sending Milinda Siriwardana back for two, the Lankans were reeling at 162 for 7. Then their wheels came apart with the review showing Lahiru Thirimanne (28) chopping one on to his boots off Khan before the ball settled into the gloves of Sarfraz Ahmad. Had Thisara Perera not managed to use the long handle to good effect in making a quick-fire 38 off 37 balls, Sri Lanka wouldn’t have crossed the 200 mark.