Pakistan vs Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka Thrash Pakistan by 8 Wickets to Reach Tri-Series Final After 110 All Out

Photo: PCB via Geo News

Sri Lanka thrashed Pakistan by eight wickets in Lahore on Tuesday, bowling the hosts out for just 110 before chasing the target down with more than 30 overs to spare to reach the ODI tri-series final.

It was a night-and-day change from Pakistan's last game. Two days after pulling off a famous one-wicket win over England, the home side fell apart with the bat at Gaddafi Stadium, and Sri Lanka made them pay in full.

Main News Report: Pakistan vs Sri Lanka in Lahore

Geo News reports that Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bowl first, then dismissed Pakistan for 110 in 25.3 overs in the fifth match of the tri-series. Chasing 111, Sri Lanka reached 114 for 2 in 18.1 overs.

Left-arm seamer Dilshan Madushanka did most of the damage. He finished with 5 for 34 in 8.3 overs, his best figures in one-day cricket, beating his previous best of 5 for 80 against India at the 2023 World Cup. Sahan Arachchige took 2 for 24, while Asitha Fernando, Eshan Malinga and Dunith Wellalage picked up one wicket each.

Pakistan never got going. Fakhar Zaman fell to Madushanka in the fourth over for 5, Maaz Sadaqat went for 8, and Saad Baig for 5, leaving the hosts at 23 for 2 and then three down early. Babar Azam top-scored with 29 off 33 balls, but when he fell leg-before to Malinga, Pakistan were 61 for 5 in 13.1 overs and the game was slipping away fast.

Shadab Khan, the hero against England with his first one-day hundred, managed only 2 this time. Arafat Minhas made 10 and Hasan Nawaz 17, and by the time Haris Rauf fell for 1, Pakistan were deep in trouble. Captain Shaheen Shah Afridi hit two sixes in a quick 15, but Madushanka removed him to end the innings at 110.

The chase was a formality. Kamindu Mendis and Avishka Fernando put on 50 inside seven overs, and though Shaheen removed Avishka for 16 and Minhas dismissed captain Kusal Mendis for 8, Kamindu stayed calm. He finished unbeaten on 62 off 60 balls, with eight fours and two sixes, and Pavan Rathnayake made 23 not out as Sri Lanka crossed the line in the 19th over.

Background Context

This was the fifth match of a three-team one-day series also featuring England, played as a double round-robin in Lahore. Pakistan had already booked their place in the final before this game, after staying unbeaten in their earlier matches.

Sri Lanka, on the other hand, had to win to stay alive. ARY News reports that the win sets up a final against Pakistan and ends England's campaign without a victory, with England now out of the running.

The contrast with Sunday could hardly be sharper. Pakistan beat England by one wicket in Lahore after chasing 242, with Shadab's unbeaten 113 carrying them home. Two days later, the same batting line-up could not last 26 overs.

• Sunday vs England: Pakistan chased 242 and won by one wicket, Shadab 113 not out.
• Tuesday vs Sri Lanka: Pakistan made 110 all out in 25.3 overs and lost by eight wickets.
• Top scorer Tuesday: Babar Azam, 29. No other batter passed 20 except Hasan Nawaz (17).
• Best bowling Tuesday: Dilshan Madushanka, 5 for 34, a career best.
• Chase: Sri Lanka 114 for 2 in 18.1 overs, Kamindu Mendis 62 not out.

Reactions and Statements

There was no hiding how one-sided this one was. Sri Lanka's bowlers kept hitting the right lengths from the first over, and Pakistan's batters kept finding fielders or losing their stumps. Madushanka's five-wicket haul, built on early strikes and a clean finish with Shaheen's wicket, told the story of the day.

For Pakistan, the worry is the top order. Fakhar Zaman is short of runs, the young batters around Babar could not build a stand, and once Babar went, the middle order folded. Shaheen's late sixes at least took Pakistan past 100, but by then the damage was done.

For Sri Lanka, Kamindu Mendis was the calm head in the chase. He reached his fifth one-day fifty, survived a scare when a catch on the boundary turned into six after the fielder stepped on the rope, and saw his side home without fuss.

Why This News Matters

This result changes the shape of the series. Sri Lanka are through to the final, England are out, and Pakistan now face a rematch against a side that has just beaten them with ease. A final is a fresh game, but Sri Lanka will walk in with the belief that they know how to knock this Pakistan batting line-up over.

For Pakistan fans, it is a warning before the final. The bowling attack can defend small totals on its day, but 110 was never going to be enough, and the batting needs a hard look before the two sides meet again. The side that chased 242 on Sunday and collapsed for 110 on Tuesday cannot afford another off day when a trophy is on the line.

It also matters for the wider cricket picture in Pakistan. Home crowds in Lahore have seen both sides of this team in three days: the fight that beat England, and the collapse that handed Sri Lanka the final. Which Pakistan turns up for the final will decide the series.

Future Developments

Pakistan and Sri Lanka will now meet again in the tri-series final in Lahore, with England eliminated. Pakistan will look to fix a top order that has wobbled twice in the series, while Sri Lanka will look to repeat the bowling plan that worked so well on Tuesday: early wickets, steady pressure, and Madushanka with the new ball and at the death.

Team news for the final, including whether Pakistan stick with the same young batting line-up or bring back experience, should become clear in the days before the match. PakInsight Hub will carry the final report as soon as the game is done.

Sources

Geo News, Tri-series: Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by eight wickets to reach final
ARY News, Madushanka wrecks Pakistan as Sri Lanka press for final slot

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