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Match Report: Sri Lanka Navigates Early Scare to Defeat Zimbabwe
The second fixture of the Pakistan T20I Tri-Series 2025 provided another exciting contest at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, where Sri Lanka showed resilience to chase down a competitive target and defeat Zimbabwe by five wickets.
First Innings: Sri Lanka’s Slow Start
After Zimbabwe won the toss and elected to bat, the Sri Lankan innings got off to a turbulent start against disciplined pace bowling.
- Early Wickets: Pacer Tinotenda Maposa quickly removed opener Kusal Perera (4), exploiting the early bounce and movement off the pitch. Zimbabwe maintained tight control through the powerplay, preventing Sri Lanka from accelerating.
- Mid-Innings Stability: The middle order, anchored by Kusal Mendis and crucial contributions from the experienced core, stabilized the innings, ensuring the loss of early wickets did not result in a total collapse.
- Late Acceleration: The later order batters managed to find boundaries in the final overs, pushing Sri Lanka’s total to a competitive score.
Second Innings: Zimbabwe’s Challenge Falls Short
Chasing a target around the 150-run mark, Zimbabwe’s batsmen needed an explosive start to challenge the established Sri Lankan attack.
- Sikandar Raza’s Fight: Captain and all-rounder Sikandar Raza was the pivotal figure for Zimbabwe, leading the way with a fighting performance with both bat and ball.
- Zimbabwe’s Collapse: Despite individual efforts, Zimbabwe’s batting order struggled to maintain consistency against the disciplined Sri Lankan bowlers, who managed to take wickets at regular intervals through the middle overs.
- Sri Lanka’s Composed Finish: Sri Lanka’s batters ensured the required run rate remained manageable. A crucial partnership in the middle order absorbed the pressure, allowing the Lankans to cross the finishing line with wickets and balls to spare, ultimately securing the five-wicket victory.
The win provides Sri Lanka with a crucial two points in the series, while Zimbabwe remains in search of their first victory.
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Image Credits : Outlook India
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