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Sri Lanka vs Pakistan Match 5 Full Commentary
Result · Oct 27 2026, Tue - 01:30 PM (IST)
SL 114/2 (18.1)
PAK 110/10 (25.3)
Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by 8 wickets
CRR:6.28
प्लेयर ऑफ द मैच
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Welcome back for Sri Lanka's reply. The two umpires and players make their way out to the middle. It will be the left-hand, right-hand combination of Kamindu Mendis and Avishka Fernando to open the innings for Sri Lanka. Shaheen Afridi will kickstart proceedings with the new ball. Mendis is on strike. A slip in place. Let's go...
... THE RUN CHASE ...
The star of the innings? It has to be Dilshan Madushanka. Not just because he picked up a five-wicket haul, but because he never allowed the batters to settle. Every time he came on, there was a threat, a sense that something was about to happen. But apart from him, the whole unit deserves applause, as every bowler did their part and had at least a wicket to their name. Also, kudos to Sri Lanka's fielding unit, which has been simply flawless throughout the innings. After this clinical bowling display, they have a modest target to chase and can book their place in the final while knocking England out in the process. The lowest total successfully defended in an ODI between these Asian giants is 172. Can Pakistan pull off something special and beat that record? Stick around, as the second innings is coming up shortly.
Backs against the wall - By the time the drinks break arrived in the 14th over, Pakistan were 61 for 5 and in deep trouble. The Sri Lankan bowlers were right on the money and kept the pressure on Pakistan. The lower middle order did not offer much resistance either. Only Babar Azam, Hasan Nawaz and Shaheen Afridi managed to go past 10, and that tells you everything you need to know about Pakistan's batting effort.
Lankan Lions roar early - Sri Lanka won the toss, chose to bowl and were superb from the first over. Dilshan Madushanka and Asitha Fernando wreaked havoc, sending back Fakhar Zaman, Maaz Sadaqat and Saad Baig to reduce Pakistan to 47 for 3 in 10 overs. Babar Azam looked fluent at one end, but the support he needed never arrived.
Nothing short of a clinical performance - A standing ovation from Gary Kirsten and his coaching staff as the Lankan players walk off the field after putting up an impeccable performance and why not? The bowling unit has been relentless, hunting Pakistan down from the first over till the very last of the first innings, and the hosts have been bundled out for just 110, which is their third-lowest total against the island nation in ODIs.
OUT! CAUGHT! FIVE WICKETS FOR MADUSHANKA. Career-best figures of 5/34 for Dilshan as Pakistan have been bowled out for 110. Another short ball by Dilshan, following the left-hander as he moves towards the leg side. Afridi goes for the pull once again but he fails to get on top of the bounce, and he is rushed. The ball also gets big on him to take the top edge. It goes down to deep fine leg, where Dunith Wellalage takes a few steps forward and gobbles it up.
SIX! Off the top edge, but Pakistan will take it any way they come. Afridi shows his cards early as he backs away and Madushanka follows him with a short ball. Afridi swings across for the pull, but the ball climbs onto him to take the top edge, and it goes over the fine leg fence.
Gets it very full, on middle. Afridi digs it out to mid-wicket.
Had to hurry! On the shorter side, on middle. Afridi tries to nudge it away on the leg side with a closed bat face but gets an inside edge onto the pads. The ball drops beside him, and after a bit of hesitation, the batters set off for the single. Asitha Fernando attacks the ball, turns around and has a shy at the bowling end but misses with Shaheen getting home with a dive. Afridi scrapes off a bit of skin from his elbow due to the dive. The replays show that he would have been safe even with the direct hit.
SIX! All the way. Banged in short, over off. Afridi backs away and uses his long levers to dispatch the pull. One hand comes off the handle but Shaheen has more than enough on it to clear the deep mid-wicket fence. The 100 is up for Pakistan.
Pinged on the boot! No real conviction in the appeal from the Lankans and they do not go for the review. Asitha spears in a yorker and gets the ball to tail back in. Afridi clears the front leg and has a swipe across the line. He is beaten on the inside edge and gets hit on the left boot. The ball goes wide of deep fine leg but Afridi wants to keep the strike.
From the around the wicket now with a man at a short backward square leg. Fernando dishes out a short ball, around the left shoulder. Shah pulls it to the right of deep mid-wicket for a single.
Wide. Down leg, on a hard length. Shah leans inside the line and lets it go.
Nicely bowled! A sharp short ball, on off. Shah rises with the bounce and tries to fend it down but is beaten past the outside edge.
Into the wicket, on off. Shaheen drags the pull behind square leg and crosses over.
Asitha Fernando (5-0-24-1) returns back into the attack.
Fuller in length, on off. Shaheen pushes away from his body but gets an inside edge and the ball rolls behind square leg for a run.
Dug in short, over off. Afridi drops his wrists to let the ball pass.
Angled in, on a nagging length, on middle and leg. Shah looks to defend it with a straight bat but gets an inside edge and the ball goes behind square leg for a single.
Banged in short, over off. Shah sways away from the line of the ball.
On a hard length, on off. Shah hops back to block it out.
Naseem Shah is the last batter at the crease.
OUT! TAKEN! Sri Lanka cannot put a foot wrong today. From around the wicket, in the channel, on a back of a length. Rauf stays beside the line and tries to use the pace of the ball by running it down to deep third with an open bat face. Ends up gliding it towards Kamindu Mendis, who is stationed at a wide slip. The ball flies to Mendis quickly, but he is equal to the task. He puts in a dive to his right and holds onto a sharp catch. One of the heroes of the miraculous win against England the other night, Rauf fails to make any impact today. Dilshan has his 4th wicket, and Pakistan are now 92/9.
Turning back in, on the shorter side. Afridi pushes it to cover.
Pushed through at the sticks. Afridi brings his bat out in front and keeps it out on the leg side.
Nearly sneaked through. On a good length, around the off stump. Rauf has a fiddle at the ball. Ekes out an inside edge and it goes behind square leg for a single.
Pakistan lose their last recognised batter, and the walls are closing in on them rather quickly. The man who hit the winning runs in the last game is in. Here's Haris Rauf.
OUT! IN THE AIR AND TAKEN! Why Hasan Nawaz, why? That will be the cry from Pakistan fans, as this shot was absolutely not needed at this stage. Dunith Wellalage tosses it up, around off. Hasan Nawaz gets forward and tries to launch it towards long off, despite knowing that there is a fielder in that region. Spoons it towards Sahan Arachchige, who charges across to his left and slides to catch it safely.
Fullish, on off, Hasan Nawaz defends it to cover.
That's a wrap - After all the thrills and spills of the first four games, this one turned out to be a lopsided affair, and it ended whatever hope England had left. They are back in action on Thursday, 29 October, when they take on Sri Lanka in the final round-robin game. Harry Brook’s side is yet to win a game on this tour, and they will want to end it on a high. Sri Lanka, already through to the final, will use the match to fine-tune ahead of the big day. The first ball is due to be bowled at 8 am GMT, and we look forward to your company then. For now, you can switch tabs and follow the action unfolding across the globe on what is an action-packed Tuesday. Cheers!
PLAYER OF THE MATCH - Quite an obvious choice, as Dilshan Madushanka takes home the award for his career-best figures of 5/34 in 8.3 overs, including a maiden.
Madushanka’s day out - With a place in the final already secured, Pakistan went into this game looking for answers at the top of the order. Instead, the same problems came back. Three wickets fell inside the first Powerplay, and there was no coming back from there as Sri Lanka kept chipping away. None of the Pakistan batters took responsibility or showed the resolve to hang in there, and it ended up being a meek surrender. Dilshan Madushanka led the way with career-best figures of 5/34, and the rest of the attack supported him well. The fielders backed them up as Sri Lanka produced a clinical performance with a place in the final up for grabs.
Chased down without any fuss - Defending just 110, Pakistan needed everything to go their way, and Saad Baig dropping Kamindu Mendis in the very first over made it harder. From there, it was the familiar story of a side with little to play with. The pacers went hunting for wickets, sprayed it all around, and Sri Lanka cashed in. Kamindu dealt in boundaries to ease any early nerves and set his side on their way. He went on to bring up his first fifty of the tour and stayed unbeaten, which should give him a good confidence boost going ahead.
Sri Lanka are through to the final - It could not have been a more clinical win from the Lankans, and it sets up an all-Asian final, with England left to play for pride in their last game. The bat did the talking when Sri Lanka chased down a record target against England the other night. Today it was the ball that set up the win. It was also a day that summed up the unpredictable nature of Pakistan cricket. This was the same side that showed the fight to snatch a win from the jaws of defeat, and today they simply did not put up a fight.
FOUR! Hammered away. Sri Lanka win by 8 wickets and book their place in the final, where they will meet Pakistan again. This is dragged down from around the wicket by Sadaqat, on off. Rathnayake rocks onto the back foot in a flash and makes room for himself. Spanks it through covers and it races away to the fence. Smiles and handshakes all around in the Lankan camp as they celebrate sealing their place in the final.
Loopy slower one, very full. Mendis leans across to unleash the cover drive but the ball dips on him and sneaks under the blade.
Wide. Dug in short, this is well wide on off. Mendis thinks about going after it but then lets it be. The scores are level!
At 132.3 kph, skidding through, on a short of a good length. Mendis swivels for the pull but gets an inside edge and gets hit around the box. A slight grimace from Kamindu, but he is happy to carry on without needing any medical assistance.
Low full toss, on off. Rathnayake makes room and smashes it to deep cover for another single.
Across off, on a back of a length. Mendis stands tall on top of the bounce and angles it wide of point for one. Sri Lanka need 3 more runs.
Angled in at the hips. Rathnayake nurdles it behind square leg and takes a single.
Half a shout for LBW, but the umpire is unmoved. With nothing to lose, Shaheen Afridi takes the review. Tailing back in, on a good length, on middle. Rathnayake clears the front leg and collapses his back knee for the big hit. Squeezes it out down to mid on. It has come right off the middle of the bat, with the pad well away from the ball.
Offers a bit of flight, on middle and leg. Mendis tucks it beside the strip on the leg side.
Slows it down, it is fuller as well, on middle. Kamindu brings his bat out in front to block it out.
On a good length, on off. Mendis stabs it down on the off side.
Flatter and shorter, on off. Rathnayake punches it to deep point for one.
Flighted delivery, slower through the air but the line is a little too straight, down leg. Mendis shuffles across and plays the lap down to deep fine leg. Haris Rauf covers good ground to his left and gets low to prevent the boundary, saving a run for his side.
FOUR! Nicely done! A bit of air given, on a length, on off and middle. Mendis walks across the stumps and gets low to be able to get under the ball. He brings out the scoop and plays it over the keeper's head for a boundary. The 100 is up for Sri Lanka, and they need 9 more runs.
DRINKS BREAK! Just 13 runs required, and the final formalities remain. Kamindu Mendis has been exceptional throughout this chase and has made Pakistan pay for giving him a lifeline. Pakistan will look back at their batting, where all their troubles began, and will want to put this result behind them and treat it as a day to forget.
A lot fuller at the sticks. Rathnayake goes back to a ball he was better off being forward to but manages to tap it to mid off.
On top of the off stump. Rathnayake lets the ball come on and punches it to the right of deep point for a couple of runs more.
Moving back in off the seam, on a back of a length, on middle. Rathnayake defends it from the crease.
Pushes the length up, on off. Rathnayake knocks it with a straight bat to mid off.
Straightening off a good length, on off. Rathnayake is squared up in defense but manages to keep it out.
Naseem hits the good length, just outside the off stump. Rathnayake presses forward and plays a punchy drive to the right of deep cover for a couple of runs.
Shorter and on middle. Rathnayake hangs back and turns it square on the leg side for a single. Sri Lanka require 17 more runs.
Speared in on a good length, on middle. Rathnayake pushes it to cover.
Direct hit! Floated up, on middle. Mendis advances and checks his drive to mid-wicket. Pavan Rathnayake is backing up at the non-striker's end. Shaheen Afridi gets low and gathers the ball before scoring a direct hit at the bowling end. Rathnayake dives to get home and the ball deflects away off the sticks, allowing a single to be taken. A quick check upstairs and Pavan is found to be safe.
Shorter and on middle. Rathnayake knocks it off the back foot to long on for one.