5th ODI: Pakistan win by 3 wickets, win series 4-1

Tags: Pakistan vs Sri Lanka in UAE 2011-12, Pakistan v Sri Lanka,5th ODI at Abu Dhabi - Nov 23, 2011, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Pak vs SL, Pak vs SL 5th ODI

Published on: Nov 24, 2011

Scorecard | Commentary | Graphs

Sohail Tanvir grabbed 4-34 to help Pakistan limit Sri Lanka to 218-9 off 50 overs in the fifth and final one-day cricket international at Sheikh Zayed Stadium on Wednesday.

Misbah-ul-Haq and UmarAkmal hit half-centuries after teammate SohailTanvir took four wickets on Wednesday to steer Pakistan to a three-wicket victory over Sri Lanka and a 4-1 win in the one-day series.

Misbah compiled a patient 66 while Akmal struck eight fours in an unbeaten 61 off 60 deliveries as Pakistan reached their victory target of 219-7 with 16 balls to spare at Sheikh Zayed Stadium. Wrist spinner JeevanMendis was Sri Lanka's best bowler with 3-36, while seamer Dilhara Fernando took 2-47.

SohailTanvir grabbed 4-34 to help Pakistan limit Sri Lanka to 218-9 off 50 overs in the fifth and final one-day cricket international at Sheikh Zayed Stadium on Wednesday. Tanvir put Sri Lanka in early peril at 46-4 before Kumar Sangakkara and Angelo Mathews both hit half-centuries to spearhead a fightback.

Left-hander Sangakkara lashed eight fours in a topscore of 78 off 100 balls while Mathews struck two fours and two sixes in 61 off 101 deliveries. The pair shared a fifth-wicket partnership of 115. ThisaraPerera provided some late impetus with 25 off 18 balls.

UmarGul peppered an under-pressure TillakaratneDilshan with deliveries that nipped in. When he got one to go the other way in the fifth over, Dilshan pushed loosely to be caught-behind. 35 for 3 soon became 46 for 4 when Chamara Silva, replacing an injured MahelaJayawardene, was sucked in by a length ball that he nicked straight to slip - Junaid Khan, picking a wicket in his first over.

Kumar Sangakkara was left with the responsibility to bail the struggling Sri Lankan batting line-up out of trouble. Failures with the bat cost them the Test as well as the ODI series and the events took a similar turn in a dead rubber as well, with Pakistan's superior bowling attack taking control over the first half of the Sri Lankan innings. Plenty of talent and depth in their bowling reserves served Pakistan well once again as the pace attack, including SohailTanvir, continued to trouble their opponents.

Sri Lanka chose to bat in final ODI where they can only hope for consolation, with the series already lost after their batsmen let them down. MahelaJayawardene went back home after sustaining a knee injury, and was replaced in the XI by Chamara Silva.

Pakistan, a team on a high, made three changes. WicketkeeperSarfraz Ahmed, fast bowler AizazCheema and opener ImranFarhat were on the bench for this game. Left-arm seamer Junaid Khan, who impressed in the Test series, SohailTanvir and AsadShafiq were picked in the XI. There were doubts about ShahidAfridi's availability for this game, after he hurt his leg in Pakistan's series-sealing win, but he was declared fit.

Sri Lanka Squad XI: 1 UpulTharanga, 2 TillakaratneDilshan (capt), 3 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 4 DineshChandimal, 5 Chamara Silva, 6 Angelo Mathews, 7 JeevanMendis, 8 ThisaraPerera, 9 SeekkugePrasanna, 10 LasithMalinga, 11 Dilhara Fernando.

Pakistan Squad XI: 1 Mohammad Hafeez, 2 AsadShafiq, 3 Younis Khan, 4 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), 5 ShoaibMalik, 6 UmarAkmal (wk), 7 ShahidAfridi, 8 SohailTanvir, 9 SaeedAjmal, 10 UmarGul, 11 Junaid Khan.

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