Mohammed Hafeez scored his 2nd consecutive century at Sharjah to sink Sri Lanka by 113 runs in the 3rd ODI and take a 2-1 lead in the 5 match ODI series.
Sri Lankan skipper Angelo Mathews won the toss and elected to field to put the host team to bat under natural lights for the 3rd time in the series. Sri Lanka named an unchanged eleven. Pakistan drafted in Umar Gul in place of Sohail Tanvir.
Sri Lankan opening bowler Nuwan Kulasekara struck early when he clean bowled Sharjeel Khan when the score was only on 2 runs. The two in-form batsman for Pakistan, Ahmed Shehzad and Mohammed Hafeez continued their good work when they creamed the Sri Lankan bowling to put on a superb 160 runs partnership for the 2nd wicket. Ahmed Shehzad was the 2nd Pakistan wicket to fall when he was caught short of his ground after making a superb 81 runs in 89 balls with 6 boundaries and 2 maximums.
Mohammed Hafeez was dropped on 26 by Lasith Malinga at long on and it proved to be the difference as it was pretty much a straight forward chance. Hafeez took the 2nd life with both hands to punish the lifeless Sri Lankan bowling attack and number 4 batsman Sohaib Maqsood scored a run a ball 21 before he perished to the bowling of Thisara Perera in the 37th over with Pakistan total exactly on 200. After the loss of Maqsood, Hafeez was then joined by his skipper Misbah Ul-Haq and the pair put on another risk free 75 runs for the 4th wicket to rub more salt to Sri Lankan wounds. Misbah was then dismissed by the expensive Thisara Perera after the Pakistan leader made a quick 40 runs off 26 legitimate balls.
Hafeez scored runs all around the ground and he started to let loose after he made his hundred and Hafeez continued to plunder boundaries and sixes and wreaked havoc on Malinga and his bowling partners. Boom-Boom Afridi could not make much impression but Umar Akmal deposited Kulasekara for a couple of maximums in the 50th as Pakistan powered to a massive 326/5 off their allotted 50 overs. Pakistan had added a whopping 105 in the last ten overs. Hafeez remained unbeaten on 140 off just 136 deliveries and this knock is his best batting performance in his successful ODI career. Akmal did his part with a 12-ball 23. Kulasekara conceded 67 off his 10 overs while Thisara Perera gave away 58 off his 8 overs but took 2 wickets in a belter of a Sharjah wicket.
Sri Lanka up for another big chase as Kusal Perera and T.M Dilshan walked out to the middle to face the Pakistan music. Sri Lankan opening stand was limited for only 17 runs when Umar Gul back from an injury removed Kusal Perera and Dimuth Karunarathne who was promoted up the order failed to start his runs tally when he too fell to the brilliant bowling of Umar Gul in the 4th over of the Sri Lankan innings.
After the early hiccup, the innings reconstruction was automatically given to the senior statesmen of the Sri Lanka team T.M Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara. The pair put on only 27 runs for the 3rd wicket as Sangakkara stroked a rather loose pull short to the bowling of Junaid Khan and was dismissed when he was batting in great nick scoring 14 runs in same number of balls.
T.M Dilshan was then joined by Sri Lankan vice-captain Dinesh Chandimal and the pair consolidated the innings with some sensible batting for the 4th wicket. The latter was solid and happy to play second fiddle even as Dilshan kept on picking the occasional boundary. The pair had taken Sri Lanka to 100/3 after 20.5 overs. Shahid Afridi as he usually does struck in the 22nd over when he castled Dilshan for 59 off 62 balls. Chandimal stepped foot on the accelerator and picked up a few boundaries before centurion Hafeez sent him packing for 36 runs. Sri Lanka had moved to 135/5 after 30 overs. Nuwan Kulasekara’s stay was very brief as he fell to the magician Saeed Ajmal putting Sri Lanka into more misery as Sri Lanka were 136/6.
Sri Lankan skipper Angelo Mathews who’s in terrific form counter attacked the Pakistani bowling with Sri Lanka’s newest pinch hitter Seekuge Prasanna making some lusty blows to up the run rate and inch closer to the target but the Sri Lanka lost both wickets and momentum in process of quick runs as Seekuge fell to the bowling of Hafeez after making a quick-fire 22.
Thisara Perera and Angelo Mathews sky rocketed balls from Junaid Khan and Saeed Ajmal respectively to shut down any hopes of a miracle chase again.
Umar Gul’s bowling was exceptional as he clean bowled Lasith Malinga in the 45th over of the Sri Lankan innings to skittle the islanders to 213.
Sri Lankan camp will go back to the drawing boards as their fielding and bowling let them down once again and they will have to regroup themselves before the fourth ODI which will get underway at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday to stay alive in this series.
