a simple defensive push past cover takes Pakistan to victory by seven wickets, and with that the series is theirs
Sri Lanka vs Pakistan, 3rd ODI at Abu Dhabi, , Oct 18 2017 - Ball by Ball Commentary
RESULT
3rd ODI (D/N), Abu Dhabi, October 18, 2017, Pakistan tour of United Arab Emirates
New
PAK
Full commentary
10.40 pm That's about as perfect a game as can be played, roll over the opposition for 208, with a young fast bowler taking a five-for and overtaking a veritable legend of the game. Then have a debutant take centre stage and score an impressive century. It just seemed on the cards for Pakistan, so much that Imam-ul-Haq started walking on 89, only to be called back to the crease for the catch he thought was clean wasn't quite so. After the trials of the Test series, where they came up short playing for the first time without Misbah and Younis in so many years, here, they have been propped up on young shoulders.
At the other end, Sri Lanka have slumped to their 10th ODI defeat in a row. Much of that has been because their batsmen has not been able to produce big scores and as a result the team has struggled to post competitive totals. Bright lights like Kusal Mendis haven't been able to crack the ODI code like say Babar Azam has. They'll need time, yes, but they'll also need to acknowledge that they are playing pretty poorly at the moment and will need to sit down and have an honest talk about what they want to do out in the field. Increasingly, it looks like a team that goes out to bat wanting to avoid a collapse rather than put up big runs on the board.
Imam-ul-Haq is the Man of the Match, of course. Well then, thank you for your company tonight. Hopefully you'll join us for the rest of the game, even though they have become dead rubbers.
Shabaib Abdulla: "Now Imam have doubled his burden on him. Intially he was supposed to carry his Uncle's legacy and now with his Debut century people will now have more expectation from him"
42.3
1
Vandersay to Hafeez, 1 run
42.2
4
Vandersay to Hafeez, FOUR runs
lifts an overpitched delivery away to the midwicket boundary. The series win comes ever closer to Pakistan
42.1
•
Vandersay to Hafeez, no run
tosses it up on middle, defends
42.1
1w
Vandersay to Hafeez, 1 wide
drifts down leg, the batsman misses a flick, and it's called a wide
end of over 424 runs • 1 wicket
PAK: 203/3CRR: 4.83 • RRR: 0.75
Mohammad Hafeez29 (48b 3x4)
Thisara Perera 4-0-22-1
Jeffrey Vandersay 9-1-37-1
Imam walks off to great applause. He is met by the incoming batsman Shoaib Malik and pulled into a hug. Then he disappears into a huddle with his team-mates. They're all chuffed for him
41.6
W
Perera to Imam-ul-Haq, OUT
goes for the pull, and he gloves it through to the wicketkeeper. Gone for exactly one hundred, to a ball that was short and down leg side and ripe for the taking. Cross-seamer from Thisara, getting a little bit of extra bounce. For what its worth, that's good work from the allrounder
Imam-ul-Haq c †Dickwella b Perera 100 (125b 5x4 2x6) SR: 80
41.5
1
Perera to Hafeez, 1 run
back of a length and on off stump, tucks it through to deep midwicket
Azweer: "Definitely uncle Inzi must be in tears... Very emotional moment.."
41.4
1
Perera to Imam-ul-Haq, 1 run
lucky number 13 - that's how many people have scored centuries on debut in ODIs now. There's a scream as he pulls a short ball behind square leg and races off to the other end. Will he know he is only the second Pakistani to score a century in his first ODI - and the first in well over two decades?
Cheers around the ground, the captain claps heartily as he sees Imam-ul-Haq get back on strike. The 21-year old opener is 99 not out on debut
41.3
1
Perera to Hafeez, 1 run
inside edge as a good length ball cuts in off the pitch. Single to square leg
41.2
•
Perera to Hafeez, no run
reaches outside off, and the ball kicks up off a length and beats the outside edge
41.1
1
Perera to Imam-ul-Haq, 1 run
back of a length on off stump, pushes to long-on. He's on 99 now
end of over 41Maiden
PAK: 199/2CRR: 4.85 • RRR: 1.11
Mohammad Hafeez27 (45b 3x4)
Imam-ul-Haq98 (122b 5x4 2x6)
Jeffrey Vandersay 9-1-37-1
Thisara Perera 3-0-18-0
40.6
•
Vandersay to Hafeez, no run
full and outside off, drives to the sweeper and they don't take the single
40.5
•
Vandersay to Hafeez, no run
that's a googly, which Hafeez reads and defends well
40.4
•
Vandersay to Hafeez, no run
goes back to block a quicker delivery on off stump
40.3
•
Vandersay to Hafeez, no run
gets him squared up with a ripping legbreak, pitching on leg stump and rearing away towards the slip in place
40.2
•
Vandersay to Hafeez, no run
punches a flatter delivery to short cover
40.1
•
Vandersay to Hafeez, no run
blocks a good length ball on off stump
Jeffrey Vandersay now. Pakistan need 10, Imam needs two
end of over 406 runs
PAK: 199/2CRR: 4.97 • RRR: 1.00
Mohammad Hafeez27 (39b 3x4)
Imam-ul-Haq98 (122b 5x4 2x6)
Thisara Perera 3-0-18-0
Dushmantha Chameera 10-0-33-0
39.6
1
Perera to Hafeez, 1 run
takes a short ball and pulls it out to deep square leg to retain strike for the next over.
39.5
•
Perera to Hafeez, no run
good length ball outside off, blocks
39.4
•
Perera to Hafeez, no run
ignores the bouncer. Hafeez's timing tonight has been spot on, but he's choosing not to indulge with his partner three short of a hundred and the win only 11 runs away
39.3
•
Perera to Hafeez, no run
defends a good length ball on off stump
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