Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by 4 wickets. (Pic Credit: Sri Lanka Cricket)
NEW DELHI: Defending champions Sri Lanka produced a remarkable fightback under pressure to beat Pakistan by four wickets and book their place in the Women’s Asia Cup final, where they will face India in a repeat of the 2024 summit clash.Chasing 131 at the Dubai International Stadium on Friday, Sri Lanka slumped to 33/4 inside seven overs before Harshitha Samarawickrama and Kavisha Dilhari launched a stirring recovery. The pair added 67 runs for the fifth wicket to bring Sri Lanka within touching distance of victory.Pakistan captain Fatima Sana briefly reignited her side’s hopes by dismissing both batters in the 17th over, leaving Sri Lanka at 109/6 and still needing 22 runs from the final three overs. But Nilakshika Silva and Kaushani Nuthyangana held their nerve to finish the chase with eight balls to spare.Sri Lanka reached 131/6 in 18.4 overs, with Nilakshika unbeaten on 18 off 10 balls and Nuthyangana 10 not out from four deliveries.
Harshitha, Dilhari rescue Sri Lanka
Pakistan had made a competitive 130/5 after being asked to bat first. They too had endured a difficult start, slipping to 52/4 inside 10 overs before Fatima Sana’s unbeaten 47 off 36 balls helped revive the innings.Shawaal Zulfiqar provided early momentum with a 24 off 16 balls, while Gull Feroza made 21. But Sri Lanka’s bowlers kept Pakistan under pressure, with Chamari Athapaththu and Chamudi Praboda taking two wickets apiece and Sugandika Kumari claiming one.Sri Lanka’s chase then appeared to be heading towards trouble when Fatima removed Athapaththu and Sanjana Kavindi with successive deliveries in the second over. Hasini Perera and Imesha Dulani also fell quickly, leaving the defending champions four down.Harshitha and Dilhari changed the complexion of the chase with their 67-run stand. Harshitha made 36 from 31 balls, while Dilhari scored 33 off 33, repeatedly finding singles and rotating the strike to absorb the pressure.“The way Harshitha and Kavisha batted, it’s amazing. They absorbed the pressure, they took singles and played really good. Under pressure, that partnership was match winning,” Sri Lanka captain Athapaththu said after the game.Fatima, who was named Player of the Match for her 4/38 and unbeaten 47, struck again to remove both set batters. But Pakistan could not close out the game.“Most of the things went well, but the last bit, (the) Sri Lankan middle order took the game away,” Fatima said. “I think the way Harshitha and Kavisha played… They are good in (taking) singles. So credit goes to them.”
Repeat of 2024 final awaits
The victory takes Sri Lanka into their third consecutive Women’s Asia Cup final. They will once again face India, who defeated Bangladesh by 40 runs in their semi-final and have remained unbeaten in the tournament.Sri Lanka defeated India by eight wickets in the 2024 final to claim their maiden Asia Cup title. India, meanwhile, will be chasing a record-extending eighth crown when the two sides meet on Sunday.Athapaththu believes Sri Lanka have enough depth to challenge India again.“We have good finishers like Harshitha, Nilakshika, Kavisha. Most of the players are playing really good, even the bowling unit. So we have good players. So if we can execute our plans in the final, I think we can beat any team,” she said.For Pakistan, the defeat ended their campaign after an inconsistent tournament, while Sri Lanka’s ability to recover from 33/4 once again underlined the resilience that has taken them back to the Asia Cup final.