Usman Khan savages Sri Lanka as Pakistan secure whitewash

Sharjah, October 23: Usman Khan took five wickets in 21 balls as Pakistan secured a whitewashed series win over Sri Lanka with a fittingly dominant nine-wicket win in Sharjah.

Making just his second one-day international appearance, Usman played a starring role, taking the third-quickest five-for since 2001.

Three batsmen fell to Usman without scoring as Sri Lanka crumbled to 20 for five as their hopes of salvaging pride from a wretched tour dissipated swiftly.

Sri Lankan 50-over cricket looks in dire straits, the team suffering a 12th-straight defeat and falling to their third 5-0 series defeat this year, but Champions Trophy winners Pakistan have the top-ranked bowler in Hasan Ali and will take a nine-game winning sequence to New Zealand in the new year.

This contest was over almost as soon as it had begun.

Usman bowled openers Upul Tharanga (8) and Sadeera Samarawickrama (0), had Dinesh Chandimal (0) caught behind, trapped Niroshan Dickwella (0) lbw and had Milinda Siriwardana (6) caught at cover point - all in the space of three and a half overs.

Shadab Khan (2-24) and Hasan (2-19) took up the mantle after Usman's destructive spell, only Dushmantha Chameera (11) and Vishwa Fernando (seven not out) putting on 18 for the last wicket to prevent Sri Lanka from falling all out below 100 for a fifth time at this ground.

In a totally pressure-free chase, Pakistan's openers Imam-ul-Haq (45 no) and Fakhar Zaman got the job mostly done, the latter nicking Jeffrey Vandersay behind two short of a fifty the only blot on an otherwise flawless Pakistan copybook.

Source: OPTA