Rawalpindi’s early winter chill carried a familiar rhythm on Sunday evening — the rhythm of Pakistan’s fast bowlers dictating terms once again. Mohammad Wasim Jnr, rediscovering both pace and precision, delivered the defining spell of the match as Pakistan completed a six-wicket win and a clean sweep of the ODI series against Sri Lanka at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
Sri Lanka, asked to bat first, looked threatening in the opening overs. Pathum Nissanka and Kamil Mishara refused to be contained, racing to 55 inside eight overs and forcing Pakistan’s seamers to adjust quickly. The shift came through Haris Rauf, whose first breakthrough ended Nissanka’s bright stay, and through Wasim Jnr, who removed Mishara soon after, restoring the familiar pattern of pressure that Pakistan’s attack had shown throughout the series.
From there, Sri Lanka’s innings oscillated between moments of resistance and long stretches of survival. Stand-in captain Kusal Mendis attempted to steady the middle order with a careful 34, while Sadeera Samarawickrama carried the bulk of responsibility with a disciplined 48 off 65. But every partnership that threatened to grow was eventually undone by the relentlessness of Pakistan’s bowlers.
Wasim Jnr returned mid-innings to break the third-wicket stand, and Faisal Akram, operating with quiet confidence, inserted himself into the narrative with a pair of timely wickets. By the 36th over, Sri Lanka had slipped to 166 for 6, and the late order found no escape. Rauf, Wasim and Shaheen Shah Afridi accounted for the tail, with only debutant Pavan Rathnayake offering resistance through a spirited 32 before a run-out brought the innings to a close at 211 in 45.2 overs.
Wasim Jnr’s 3 for 47 told the statistical story, but it was his control in the middle overs — tightening the run flow and forcing errors — that ultimately earned him the Player of the Match award.
Pakistan’s chase, despite an early hiccup, never lost its shape. Fakhar Zaman and Babar Azam rebuilt with calm decisiveness, adding 74 runs in just over 11 overs. Fakhar, fluent and unhurried, carved eight boundaries in his 55 off 45, while Babar contributed 34 before falling with the score at 101 for 3.
The innings might have drifted after Salman Ali Agha’s dismissal, but Mohammad Rizwan ensured it didn’t. He absorbed pressure, steadied the tempo, and partnered with Hussain Talat in a 100-run unbeaten stand that showcased control rather than urgency. Rizwan’s 61 not out — patient, measured, unflappable — anchored the chase, while Talat’s 42 not out provided the perfect balance of rotation and occasional strokeplay. Pakistan crossed the target in 44.4 overs, completing a victory that looked assured long before it arrived.
For Sri Lanka, Jeffrey Vandersay’s 3 for 42 was a rare highlight in an otherwise muted bowling performance.
Beyond the match itself, the series carried a broader theme: Pakistan’s renewed clarity under Shaheen Shah Afridi’s leadership. Two series wins in two weeks and a 3–0 sweep against Sri Lanka underscore the growing cohesion of a side leaning heavily on its fast-bowling depth. Haris Rauf, named Player of the Series for his incisive spells across all three matches, embodied that resurgence.
Pakistan won the first ODI by six runs, the second by eight wickets, and the third — with far more assurance than the margin suggests — by six wickets, completing a fortnight that restored confidence and momentum in equal measure.
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