We have opted for a fantasy cricket team based on the recent performances, overall impact, and credit points.
Pitch Report
Batting at the Southern Club Cricket Stadium in Karachi requires patience. The pitch is slow and has been producing sharp turn for the spinners. The team batting first has lost all the games.
Teams
Probable XI for Pakistan: Bismah Maroof (c), Muneeba Ali, Sidra Ameen, Omaima Sohail, Nida Dar, Aliya Riaz, Sidra Nawaz (wk), Fatima Sana, Diana Baig, Ghulam Fatima, Sadia Iqbal
Probable XI for Sri Lanka: Chamari Athapaththu (c), Hasini Perera, Hansima Karunaratne, Prasadani Weerakkody, Nilakshi de Silva (wk), Kavisha Dilhari, Ama Kanchana, Oshadi Ranasinghe, Achini Kulasuriya, Inoka Ranaweera, Sugandika Kumari
Players to watch out for
Ghulam Fatima won the Player of the Match award for her bowling figures of 4 for 21. She wrapped up the Sri Lankan middle order with her wily leg-spin. Before this game, she had taken 9 wickets in 5 games. Given the tourists have been struggling against spin lately, Fatima is likely to take the centre stage yet again.
Bismah Maroof, the top run-scorer of the T20I series, continued her stellar form. She scored an unbeaten 62 off 101. The highlight of the innings was her running between the wickets. Only 32% of her runs came in boundaries. Her last three scores against Sri Lanka read 89, 26, and 62*.
It, however, was Sidra Ameen who laid the foundation for a smooth chase and stole the show with her 76. She now has a fifty and a hundred in her last five innings, continuing the dominance from the World Cup.
The back-to-back single-digit scores to start the tour may have given an indication to the fantasy players that Chamari Athapaththu was out of form. As a matter of fact, before the tour, in the Invitational League, the aggressive batter finished as the highest run-scorer: 303 runs at an average of 52 and strike rate of 139. She, nonetheless, has found her feet in the last two games: 37 and 25.
Kavisha Dilhari’s brave knock may have gone in vain, but her innings is a reminder that Pakistan cannot take the tourists lightly. It was her 49* that put Pakistan on the backfoot despite being ahead in the game.
Fatima Sana and Sadia Iqbal took two wickets each. While Fatima did the damage at the death with her medium pace, Sadia choked the Sri Lankan batters with her disciplined left-arm orthodox.
Oshadi Ranasinghe has been the best bowler for the tourists. Her bowling figures on the tour read 2/20, 1/16, 3/18, and 1/35.
Match Preview
Sri Lanka have lost all four games on the tour. That being said, they displayed a better batting performance in the opening ODI. Pakistan, on the other hand, have been comprehensive in all the departments.
Time: June 3, 10 AM IST