NEW DELHI: Defending champions Sri Lanka produced a outstanding fightback below strain to beat Pakistan by 4 wickets and e book their place within the Girls’s Asia Cup last, the place they’ll face India in a repeat of the 2024 summit conflict.Chasing 131 on the Dubai Worldwide Stadium on Friday, Sri Lanka slumped to 33/4 inside seven overs earlier than Harshitha Samarawickrama and Kavisha Dilhari launched a stirring restoration. The pair added 67 runs for the fifth wicket to deliver Sri Lanka inside touching distance of victory.Pakistan captain Fatima Sana briefly reignited her facet’s hopes by dismissing each batters within the seventeenth over, leaving Sri Lanka at 109/6 and nonetheless needing 22 runs from the ultimate three overs. However Nilakshika Silva and Kaushani Nuthyangana held their nerve to complete 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 4 deliveries.
Harshitha, Dilhari rescue Sri Lanka
Pakistan had made a aggressive 130/5 after being requested to bat first. They too had endured a tough begin, slipping to 52/4 inside 10 overs earlier than Fatima Sana’s unbeaten 47 off 36 balls helped revive the innings.Shawaal Zulfiqar supplied early momentum with a 24 off 16 balls, whereas Gull Feroza made 21. However Sri Lanka’s bowlers stored Pakistan below strain, with Chamari Athapaththu and Chamudi Praboda taking two wickets apiece and Sugandika Kumari claiming one.Sri Lanka’s chase then seemed to be heading in direction of bother when Fatima eliminated Athapaththu and Sanjana Kavindi with successive deliveries within the second over. Hasini Perera and Imesha Dulani additionally fell shortly, leaving the defending champions 4 down.Harshitha and Dilhari modified the complexion of the chase with their 67-run stand. Harshitha made 36 from 31 balls, whereas Dilhari scored 33 off 33, repeatedly discovering singles and rotating the strike to soak up the strain.“The way in which Harshitha and Kavisha batted, it is superb. They absorbed the strain, they took singles and performed actually good. Below strain, that partnership was match successful,” Sri Lanka captain Athapaththu mentioned after the sport.Fatima, who was named Participant of the Match for her 4/38 and unbeaten 47, struck once more to take away each set batters. However Pakistan couldn’t shut out the sport.“Many of the issues went properly, however the final bit, (the) Sri Lankan center order took the sport away,” Fatima mentioned. “I believe the best way Harshitha and Kavisha performed… They’re good in (taking) singles. So credit score goes to them.”
Repeat of 2024 last awaits
The victory takes Sri Lanka into their third consecutive Girls’s Asia Cup last. They are going to as soon as once more face India, who defeated Bangladesh by 40 runs of their semi-final and have remained unbeaten within the event.Sri Lanka defeated India by eight wickets within the 2024 last to say their maiden Asia Cup title. India, in the meantime, can be chasing a record-extending eighth crown when the 2 sides meet on Sunday.Athapaththu believes Sri Lanka have sufficient depth to problem India once more.“We’ve got good finishers like Harshitha, Nilakshika, Kavisha. Many of the gamers are enjoying actually good, even the bowling unit. So we now have good gamers. So if we are able to execute our plans within the last, I believe we are able to beat any group,” she mentioned.For Pakistan, the defeat ended their marketing campaign after an inconsistent event, whereas Sri Lanka’s skill to get well from 33/4 as soon as once more underlined the resilience that has taken them again to the Asia Cup last.