Sri Lanka thrash Pakistan 3-0: Here're the key takeaways
The Sri Lankan cricket team thrashed Pakistan 3-0 in T20Is to earn a series sweep in Lahore. For the third time in the series, Pakistan were asked to chase a total and the hosts failed. The Men in Green have serious work to do. However, Sri Lanka rose to the occasion and delivered. Here are the key takeaways from the series.
Pakistan's batting show a disaster in the series
Pakistan's batting show in the T20I series was a disaster. They failed to apply any sort of momentum in their innings. To falter during a chase in all three matches, highlights lack of confidence in the side. There were too many changes in personnel and the combinations weren't steady. Throughout the series, the batting order looked absurd. This was the side's biggest drawback.
Lankans produce batting heroes across all three T20Is
What Lanka did well was having that one batsman every match who stood out and delivered. In the first T20I, it was Danushka Gunathalika's 57 that caught the eye. Then it was Bhanuka Rajapaksa, who scored 77 in the second T20I. And now in the third match, Oshada Fernando's 78 helped the side move towards a position of safety. This is what Pakistan lacked.
A tale of two captains: Sarfaraz fails and Shanaka shines
Pakistan skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed was poor in his captaincy and the body language wasn't right. His decision-making and the urge to chop and change was a serious let down. You need a leader to lead from the front and that was missing. Meanwhile, Lanka's Dasun Shanaka was excellent. There was that element of freedom in his captaincy and he showed his leadership attributes.
How did the third T20I pan out?
Lanka were in a spot of bother at 30/3 and 58/4. However, a 76-run stand for the fifth wicket gave the side a lot to cheer about. Oshada Fernando stood out with a 48-ball 78*. His runs helped Lanka get to 147/7. In reply, Pakistan were going well at 76/1. But wickets kept tumbling as the pressure built. They managed 134/6 to lose.
Where do they go from here?
Both Pakistan and Sri Lanka face Australia next in a three-match T20I series respectively. With the ICC World T20 in mind, a young Lankan side has got off to a terrific start in terms of preparations. Pakistan are in a dismal situation and need answers.
