• Spinner Wanindu Hasaranga took three wickets to lead Sri Lanka’s bowling effort.
• Sri Lankan bowlers started the team’s dominance when Pramod Madushan hit in his first over.
• India was eliminated after Afghanistan fell to Pakistan on Wednesday

To set up an easy five-wicket victory over Pakistan on Friday in their preliminary match for the Asia Cup final, spinner Wanindu Hasaranga spearheaded Sri Lanka’s bowling effort.

At the preliminary round for the Twenty20 World Cup in October-November, both teams have already secured their spots in the title match on Sunday.

Pakistan chose to bat first in Dubai, and Hasaranga bowled them out for 121 in 19.1 overs with his leg-spin, with statistics of 3-21.

Pathum Nissanka (55 not out) and Bhanuka Rajapaksa (24) put on a crucial 51-run stand that helped Sri Lanka reach their goal with three overs remaining after falling to 29-3 in their pursuit.

After batting 19 balls, the left-handed Rajapaksa was out, but Nissanka held on and Hasaranga scored the go-ahead runs to give Sri Lanka their fourth straight victory.

The Sri Lankan bowlers started the team’s dominance when Pramod Madushan, a rookie fast bowler, hit in his first over.

For 14, he returned to the pavilion Mohammad Rizwan, who is second to Virat Kohli in the tournament’s run-scoring standings.

Fakhar Zaman’s stay on 13 was interrupted by Chamika Karunaratne, and Pakistan fell further when Hasaranga bowled Azam.

Babar started his innings with a lovely straight drive for four but was unable to generate a match-winning score.

Babar has struggled in the tournament with scores of 10, 9, 14, and nought in his previous innings.

Despite a late cameo of 26 by Mohammad Nawaz, Pakistan kept losing wickets, and Hasaranga concluded his session with two quick wickets to collapse the Pakistani batting, which only lasted 19.1 overs.

Madushan and spinner Maheesh Theekshana each claimed two wickets.

Prior to Nissanka and the left-handed Rajapaksa resuming the chase, Pakistan’s quick bowlers took three early wickets to put Sri Lanka in trouble.

When he struck out Kusal Mendis for a first-ball duck on the second pitch of the innings, Mohammad Hasnain provided the team an ideal start.

Haris Rauf, a fellow fast, took two wickets in his first two overs to dismiss Dhananjaya de Silva for nine and Danushka Gunathilaka for zero.

After a solid stand, Nissanka and Rajapaksa continued to play and raised Sri Lanka’s seventh T20 fifty, despite losing his partner.

The captain, Dasun Shanaka, who turned 31 on Friday, joined him after making 21 off 16 balls before being dismissed by Hasnain.

India, one of the pre-tournament favorites, was eliminated after Afghanistan fell to Pakistan on Wednesday after losing two of their three Super Four games.

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