Dubai: When Sri Lanka had begun their Asia Cup 2022 campaign with a disastrous loss against Afghanistan in their first match, few outside the team had even visualised them getting through to the Super 4, let alone win the tournament. But when the curtain came down on the tournament on Sunday night, not only had the islanders won the final, they notched up their fifth consecutive T20 International in just over a week. For a nation wracked with economic and internal unrest, nothing could have come as a more soothing balm than a win on the cricket field, a joy shared commonly with the rest of the nations in this part of the world. The Sri Lankans won not just against huge odds at home but also against rivals on the field who were threatening to take it all away. But Sri Lanka were not to be denied.
As for Pakistan, they would be left wondering what they did wrong. Babar Azam won the toss and fielded and Naseem Shah sent down the ball of the tournament to get them underway. Haris Rauf then hammered home the advantage with two more wickets, and with three wickets down at the end of the Powerplay in the first inning, it was all Pakistan’s to lose.
And they did. Babar’s captaincy left big holes. With the fast bowlers going great guns and two new batters at the crease, he surely should have deployed the fast stuff for at least another two overs. But he didn’t do so, giving Bhanuka Rajapaksa the time he needed to settle -down. Once the left-hander did so, he really waded into the attack.
Even though the Pakistan slow bowlers, including part-timer Iftikhar Ahmed and Shadab Khan, snared a wicket each, once Wanindu Hasaranga joined Rajapaksa in the middle, the equation changed for good.
The realisation that the Pakistan fast bowlers were not half as good in the death overs as they were early on came too late for the side to make much difference. By then Rajapaksa had been given way too much, not to mention lives as catches were dropped. He really made Pakistan pay dearly.
At one stage, Pakistan couldn’t have been blamed for thinking they’d be chasing around 130 at best, but with two 50-plus stands for the sixth and seventh wickets, Sri Lanka went higher and higher in their momentum. So much so that by the end of the first inning, it was all with them.
It showed too. Pakistan never really got off the ground when they came in for the chase. Trying to wind down 170 runs isn’t easy at the best of times and this was the final. Once the Sri Lankans got over the bizarre first over sent down by Dilshan Madhushanka, they never let go of the match.
Babar failed again, with Pramod Madhushan getting him and Fakhar Zaman of consecutive deliveries. Mohammad Rizwan, Pakistan’s eternal batting cornerstone, stayed on for long but never really was able to raise the run-rate to the desired levels.
Madhushan ended with four wickets and once Hasaranga had claimed three in final over, the match was done and dusted. A far cry from the way it had begun.
