 The final match of the ODI series awaits Pakistan and Sri Lanka after a
stunning tale of events on Saturday as Sri Lanka took an unbeatable 2-1 lead.
Pakistan will be looking to recover from the shock while Sri Lanka are on a high
they have not experienced very frequently in the past 12 months or so.
The fourth ODI finished on Saturday despite the rain interruption as well as the
presence of a reserve day due to looming rain threat. On the occasion, Sri Lanka
caused an upsetting turnaround to inflict a 44-run defeat on Pakistan after
the visitors looked comfortably placed on course to victory.
Click for Live Score Card of Sri Lanka Vs Pakistan
Pakistan captain Misbah ul Haq offered no excuses for the defeat, saying that
his batsmen took the win for granted and as a result they succumbed to an embarrassing
defeat.
Six batsmen were dismissed for a duck while Younis Khan contributed one
run. Mohammad Hafeez, who registered his third duck on tour, and Younis are under
immense pressure and it wouldn't come as a surprise if Younis is benched for the
final match.
Azhar Ali has been the bright spot this series as yet another fighting half-century
ended in a losing cause.
Sri Lanka will look to carry on their immense self-belief that has seen them come
out on top in difficult conditions. Kumar Sangakkara's 97-run knock was
a welcome return to form for the experienced batsman.
In addition, Thissara Perera's hat-trick conspired the turnaround of events leading
to victory and the all-rounder has already had an impact with two Man-of-the-Match
performances this series.
The fielding has been a huge plus for the hosts as they have looked sharp in stopping
the runs and have held on to their catches.
Off-spinner Saeed Ajmal is one short of becoming the 17th Pakistani bowler
to pick up 100 ODI wickets. The match will be played on Monday, with Tuesday as
a reserve day.
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