Oshada stars on debut as Sri Lanka whitewash Pakistan

Lahore, October 9: Oshada Fernando smashed a blistering half-century on his Twenty20 International debut and Wanindu Hasaranga excelled with the ball as Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by 13 runs to seal a historic whitewash.

The tourists wrapped up a first bilateral T20 series win over the top-ranked side with a match to spare and put the icing on the cake with a first ever 3-0 whitewash in Lahore on Wednesday (October 9).

Oshada bludgeoned 78 not out from only 48 balls as the tourists posted 147-7 after winning the toss, Mohammad Amir the pick of the bowlers with 3-27 at Gaddafi Stadium.

Pakistan - who left out Ahmed Shehzad, Umar Akmal and Mohammad Hasnain - could only make 133-6 in reply, the excellent Hasaranga taking 3-21 and Lahiru Kumara 2-24 to secure an unlikely clean sweep as Haris Sohail's 52 proved to be in vain.

And that's a 3-0 whitewash! Sri Lanka have created history by clean-sweeping world number-one ranked, Pakistan!

Pakistan 133/6 (Lahiru Kumara 2/24, Wanindu Hasaranga 3/21, K Rajitha 1/17) vs Sri Lanka 147/7 - Sri Lanka won by 13 runs. #PAKvSL pic.twitter.com/VC56zzeXjg

— Sri Lanka Cricket 🇱🇰 (@OfficialSLC) October 9, 2019

Amir struck twice in the powerplay to leave the tourists in trouble on 30-3, cleaning up Danushka Gunathilaka and getting rid of Bhanuka Rajapaksa after the economical Imad Wasim removed Sadeera Samarawickrama.

Angelo Perera was run out for only 13 but Oshada came to the rescue, dominating a fifth-wicket stand of 76 with new captain Dasun Shanaka and reaching his half-century from only 33 balls.

Oshada and Shanaka were dropped off back-to-back deliveries in an over from Wahab Riaz and the debutant rubbed salt into the woods by hitting the left-arm seamer and Amir for six.

Wahab had the skipper taken by Fakhar Zaman for 12 and Amir had a third wicket in the penultimate over as the Pakistan bowlers did a good job of restricting Sri Lanka to what appeared to be a below-par total.

Pakistan endured an awful start to their run chase, with Kasun Rajitha bowling Zaman with a peach of a first delivery of the innings, but a slow-moving partnership of 76 between Babar Azam and Haris laid a solid platform.

Babar (27) fell caught behind attempting to cut Kumara, and Pakistan were 94-3 in the 16th over and needing to step up the run rate as Haris was dismissed by Hasaranga.

Imad and Ali failed while Hasaranga bowled Sarfraz Ahmed as the best T20 side in the world made another mess of it with the bat, failing to secure a consolation victory.