Thirimanne helps Sri Lanka to Asia Cup final triumph over Pakistan

Sri Lanka lift the trophy in Bangladesh after chasing down challenging target.

Sri Lanka’s Lasith Malinga, left, celebrates with his teammate Chaturanga de Silva the dismissal of Pakistan’s captain Misbah-ul-Haq during their Asia Cup final cricket match in Bangladesh. AM Ahad / Show more

MIRPUR, Bangladesh // Left-handed opener Lahiru Thirimanne struck a well-paced 101 as Sri Lanka defeated Pakistan by five wickets in the final of the Asia Cup yesterday.

Thirimanne added 156 for the third wicket with Mahela Jayawardene (75) as Sri Lanka scored 261-5 in 46.2 overs after pace bowler Lasith Malinga’s haul of 5-56 had helped restrict Pakistan to 260-5.

Thirimanne and Malinga had starred in Sri Lanka’s 12-run win over Pakistan earlier in the tournament, with Thirimanne scoring 102 and Malinga bagging 5-52.

Thirimanne started cautiously but dominated the bowling with some clever placement, particularly behind the wicket.

He struck 13 fours off 108 balls and set up the platform for Sri Lanka’s fifth Asia Cup title along with Jayawardene, who got his first half-century in 13 ODI innings.

Jayawardene, who struck nine fours and one six off 93 balls, was lucky to be dropped by Mohammad Hafeez at the cover boundary off Umar Gul when on 52.

Thirimanne and Jayawardene came together at a tricky time as Saeed Ajmal had just pegged the team back with a twin blow when Sri Lanka were cruising along at 56-0 in 10 overs.

The off-spinner foxed well-set opener Kusal Perera (42) as the batsman came down the track, missed the line of the ball and was stumped by Umar Akmal.

In-form batsman Kumar Sangakkara, who scored a century and two half-centuries in the tournament, was trapped lbw off the next ball playing the wrong line as he failed to read the doosra delivery.

Ajmal also bowled Thirimanne late in the innings but it was too late to change the result.

“I’m happy to have scored runs against Pakistan,” Thirimanne said. “I wanted to bat through the innings today because 260 is a gettable total but we needed someone to hang in there. Malinga bowled really well and we had the momentum, we wanted to keep it.”

Earlier, another left-handed opener had been the star for Pakistan. Fawad Alam struck a maiden ODI century to help put up a fighting score after Pakistan was struggling at 18-3.

Alam remained not out on 114 off 134 balls with eight fours and three sixes. He shared a 122-run fourth-wicket stand with captain Misbah-ul-Haq (65).

Alam and Misbah batted together for 32.1 overs. It was slow progress in the middle overs with Sri Lanka often keeping seven fielders inside the 30-yard circle.

But they opened up in time to swell the total before the partnership was broken when Misbah holed out to long on off Malinga during the batting power-play taken after the 36th over.

On 41 Alam saw Sri Lanka wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara fail to latch on to a difficult overhead catch off the bowling of Suranga Lakmal and was given another let off when dropped at cover on 92 by Chaturanga de Silva. Alam got to his century with a six over midwicket off Thisara Perera.

Malinga, who had been rested against Bangladesh, seized the early initiative for Sri Lanka after Pakistan elected to bat.

He had left-hander Sharjeel Khan caught at wide mid-on and then dismissed both Ahmed Shehzad and Hafeez – both caught by Sangakkara with fine out-swinging deliveries.