Pakistan win 4th ODI by 7 wickets against Sri Lanka to go 4-0 up in the series.
Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by 7 wickets in 4th ODI
Preview:
Pakistan have already wrapped up the five match ODI series against Sri Lanka with an unassailable 3-0 lead and will aim for a whitewash with two matches to go.
There have been two things common in Sri Lanka’s apathy thus far; their spineless batting display, and the lone fighter in Upul Tharanga who despite a hundred and a fifty has failed to reverse the fortunes of his side.
In the fourth ODI, where Sri Lanka know they can’t alter the result of the series, and would look to overhaul their batting display. Tharanga aside, only Lahiru Thirimanne has scored a fifty in the series so far but that wasn’t enough to topple Pakistan. Sri Lanka’s bowling, though, has been in stark contrast to their batting as the bowlers, especially Suranga Lakmal, have delivered consistently.
A special mention for Lahiru Gamage cannot be denied either after he picked up three top-order wickets in the second game to ensure Pakistan couldn’t end up with a big total.
On the other hand, Pakistan discovered a new hero in their opener Imam-ul-Haq, who became only the second Pakistani batsman after Saleem Elahi to score a century on debut. Babar Azam’s form has been the biggest highlight of Pakistan’s growth as a cricketing nation and by pinning their hopes on him, they are setting sights for bigger targets.
Even though Mohammad Hafeez being reported for the third time for a suspect action, Pakistan seem to have all bases covered in the bowling department. However, the think-tank will be a little worried about Fakhar Zaman’s inability to convert starts. Despite the minor glitches, Pakistan look set to take a leap in rankings by the end of the series.
This also serves as the perfect chance for them to extend their winning streak past seven while it is becoming more and more imperative for Sri Lanka to arrest their ODI slide which stands at 10 defeats on the trot at the moment.
Pakistan Playing XI: Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Ahmed(w/c), Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Usman Khan, Junaid Khan
Sri Lanka Playing XI: Niroshan Dickwella(w), Upul Tharanga(c), Dinesh Chandimal, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Lahiru Thirimanne, Milinda Siriwardana, Seekkuge Prasanna, Thisara Perera, Akila Dananjaya, Suranga Lakmal, Lahiru Gamage
