Fakhar's century, Saad Baig's fifty and Shaheen's all-round role help Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by three wickets

Fakhar Zaman's 127, Saad Baig's 74 and Shaheen Afridi's double role with ball and bat helped Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by three wickets in this tri-series encounter. Sri Lanka posted 325 for 8 in their allotted 50 overs, and Pakistan chased down the target of 326 with three wickets in hand. In the final moments of the match, when Pakistan needed just two runs, Minhas and Faheem fell in quick succession, but Shaheen Afridi finished the game with a six. This win looks easy on paper but was not—Pakistan's innings began poorly and at one stage the team looked in trouble. The match was part of a tri-series that also featured England alongside Pakistan and Sri Lanka. In the context of the series, this win is important for Pakistan as it boosted confidence and strengthened its position in the points table. However, the report does not elaborate on other matches or the points table, leaving readers without a full picture of the significance of this victory. Yet what happened on the field is a gripping story in itself. Pakistan's innings began disastrously—two wickets had fallen with just 14 runs on the board. Maaz was dismissed first, and then Babar Azam returned to the pavilion without scoring. Babar's dismissal was a big blow for Pakistan, as the team expected a big innings from him. Babar has now gone nine innings without a half-century, raising questions about his form. Pakistan needed a big partnership, and that partnership came between Fakhar Zaman and Saad Baig. Fakhar Zaman played an innings of 127, the highest individual score of the match. His knock was marked by aggression and tempo. He kept the Sri Lankan bowlers under pressure and kept Pakistan moving towards the target. But an important aspect of this century is that Fakhar was dropped three times—on 6, on 69 and on 106. At least two of those catches were put down off the Sri Lankan spinner Maheesh Theekshana. Had even one of those catches been taken, the match could have turned completely. It is a common saying in cricket that the team that drops catches ends up losing, and something similar happened here. Fakhar's innings was not without risk—the ball beat the edge several times, and on a few occasions Sri Lankan fielders failed to reach the ball. But whatever the manner, 127 runs remain on the scoreboard, and in this match those runs laid the foundation for Pakistan's win. It is also worth noting that Fakhar could have been dismissed before reaching 106, but fielding errors gave him the chance to score more. In this way, his century was partly a result of Sri Lanka's fielding weaknesses. One of the most beautiful stories of this match belongs to 19-year-old Saad Baig, who struck his first international half-century just before his 20th birthday. Saad scored 74 and, along with Fakhar, pulled Pakistan out of a difficult situation. This is a big achievement for a player who is just beginning to establish himself in international cricket. His innings showed a good balance of patience and aggression—when wickets were falling, he supported Fakhar, and when the opportunity came, he played his shots. Saad Baig's innings was also important because it eased the pressure on Pakistan's middle order. Had he fallen early, Pakistan would have faced an even tougher challenge. His partnership showed Pakistan the way to the target. The most decisive part of the match was the 94-run partnership between Minhas and Mohammad Nawaz. When Pakistan's top order was wobbling and the target looked distant, the two took charge. Minhas, who is just 21, and Nawaz, who is 24, together brought Pakistan close to victory. This partnership was so important that without it, Pakistan might not have chased down 326. Both denied the bowlers any turn and kept scoring steadily. However, it would be wrong to say that this partnership 'secured' the match, because afterwards, when Pakistan needed just two runs, Minhas and Faheem fell in quick succession. So the partnership made a difficult task easier but did not fully guarantee victory. The final blow was delivered by Shaheen Afridi, who finished the match with a six. Shaheen Afridi was the real hero of this match, although his name rarely features in the headline. He first produced a brilliant spell with the ball—dismissing dangerous batsmen like Kamindu Mendis and Dasun Shanaka, which slowed Sri Lanka's innings. Then, when his turn came with the bat, he hit a six in the final moments to give Pakistan victory. This is proof of his all-round ability. The biggest feature of Shaheen's bowling was that he stopped Sri Lanka from scoring quickly. When Sri Lanka had reached 255 for 2 in 41 overs and a total around 350 seemed likely, Pakistan's bowlers, led by Shaheen, took six wickets in the last nine overs to restrict Sri Lanka to 325. That was the turning point of the match. Haris Rauf also took two important wickets in the final overs. He troubled the Sri Lankan batsmen with short deliveries and brought Pakistan back into the match. However, Rauf's bowling figures are not given in the report, but his role cannot be ignored. It is worth noting that the reporting of this match gives detailed batting figures but almost no bowling figures. Economy rates, overs and wickets for Shaheen, Rauf and other bowlers are not provided. This leaves readers unable to understand how important the bowlers' contribution was. This is a kind of unbalanced reporting that understates the bowlers' contribution. Sri Lanka's innings began brilliantly. Kamindu Mendis played an innings of 131, his best ODI score—more than doubling his previous career-best. Kamindu's knock put Sri Lanka in a strong position. Alongside him, Pavan Rathnayake scored 77. Rathnayake has been in excellent form in this series—he has scored 427 runs in the series, a fine statistic. However, his average of 106.75 comes from only four dismissals, so this average should not be given too much weight. Being dismissed only four times means the average is not statistically very robust and should be viewed with caution in the context of the series. Sri Lanka had reached 255 for 2 in 41 overs and it seemed they would get close to 350. But Pakistan's bowlers took six wickets in the last nine overs to restrict Sri Lanka to 325 for 8. This proved to be the biggest turning point of Sri Lanka's innings. Had Sri Lanka scored more in the final overs, the target would have been much harder for Pakistan. Sri Lanka's innings also featured partnerships of 87 and 146, reflecting their strong start. But the fall of wickets in the final overs proved costly. One reason for this collapse could be that the Sri Lankan batsmen took more risks than necessary in the final overs, leading to wickets. But a detailed analysis of this is not in the report. The most thrilling part of the match came in the final overs. When Pakistan needed 46 off 30 balls, a 15-run over eased the pressure. But in the final moments, when the team needed just two runs, Minhas and Faheem fell in quick succession. This brought the drama back into the match. But Shaheen Afridi, without panicking, hit a six and gave Pakistan victory. This shows that the Pakistan team has the confidence to play under pressure, although the late drama could have been avoided with a little more caution in the middle overs. Just four days earlier, Pakistan had been bowled out for 110. But in this match, they successfully chased 326. The reason for this change is not explained in the report, which is an important question. Did the pitch change, did the team composition change, or did the batsmen change their strategy? The answers to these questions are not in the report. This is a big shortcoming, because such analysis helps readers understand the change in the team's performance. Another important aspect of this match is that it does not include statements from any player or coach. In a match featuring a first half-century before a 20th birthday, three dropped catches and a win on the final ball, the absence of any reaction from players or coaches of either side is a big gap. This reduces the depth of the report and leaves it as merely a score-based account. Overall, this match was proof of Pakistan's team spirit and resilience. The team was in trouble early, but the contributions of Fakhar, Saad, Minhas, Nawaz and Shaheen helped it secure victory. Sri Lanka also fought well, but their bowling and fielding proved weak in the final overs. With this win, Pakistan has strengthened its position in the series. But the team needs to pay attention to its top-order batting and bowling figures. Babar Azam's form is also a concern. If Pakistan is to succeed in the upcoming matches, it must address these issues. If credit for this win is given to any one player, it would not be right. Fakhar's century, Saad's half-century, the Minhas-Nawaz partnership and Shaheen's role with ball and bat—all of these together caused this victory. That is the biggest lesson of this match: cricket is a team game, and collective effort matters more than individual performance.