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Sri Lanka defeats Pakistan to clinch their sixth Asia T20 title

By Real11 - Sep 12 2022 285 Views
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Consistent Sri Lanka are the new conquerers of Asia 

To outplay Asia’s finest in one of the most decorated T20 tournaments in the continent is a huge feat in itself but vanquishing after a massive financial crisis within the country is truly commendable. Sri Lanka on Sunday created history by lifting their first title since 2014. The Lankan lions decimated the men in green on the night of the final to clinch their sixth Asia T20 title.  The incredible 2022 campaign, which began with a 9 wicket loss against Afghanistan ended in a compelling 23 run victory over Pakistan. Dasun Shanaka led side barring the first game, remained unbeaten in the tournament. One of the major reasons behind SL’s dominant run has been good team spirit and unity. Each member in SL’s squad this year played their part in their team’s dominance. Not only were they playing as a cohesive unit, but the positive intent was also on display.

The monumental victory came on the back of an impressive all round show. Wanindu Hasaranaga, Pramod Madhushanka and Bhanuka Rajapaksa were the catalysts of the incredible victory. Pakistan captain Babar Azam won the toss and as expected elected to bowl first. The favourites got off to a dream start as Naseem Shah continued his splendid run to dismiss in-form batter Kusal Mendis for a  duck. The Sri Lankan innings went into a downward spiral as they lost both Pathum Nissanka and Dhanushka Gunathilaka in quick succession courtesy some fine express bowling by Haris Rauf . Dhanajaya De Silva looked good for his 28 before he was removed by part time offie Iftikhar Ahmed.  Sri Lanka lost half their side inside 9 overs with just 58 runs on the scoreboard and Pakistan very much looked in firm control as they were set to restrict the hosts to a low score. However, Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Wanindu Hasaranga had other plans. The duo turned the game on its head with a 58 run partnership in just five overs. Hasaranga departed after making a 21 ball 36 but Bhanuka continued on his pyrotechnics and stood right till the end to propel his side to a competitive total of 170.

 Despite their abysmal start with the ball, which saw Dilshan Madhushanka concede 9 runs without a legal delivery, Sri Lanka were on the front foot after the powerplay ended as skipper Babar Azam's terrible form continued. The Men in Green lost two wickets on a bounce. After Babar Azam’s dismissal, Fakhar Zaman departed without disturbing the scorers. Mohammad Rizwad continued his purple patch as he compiled another half century and established himself as the tournament’s leading run scorer. He enjoyed good support from Iftikhar Ahmed at the other end. The duo put on a 71 run partnership to keep their side in the game. But it was Hasaranga’s three wicket over that sealed the game for the hosts. 

Pakistani batters were caught in a spin web, as SL’s three frontline spinners took 8 wickets in total to put the game beyond Pak’s reach. While Madhushan picked a four-fer, Hasaranga took three crucial scalps. Maheesh Teekshana despite picking up a single wicket, conceded just 25 runs and kept the men in green in check. 

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