Dinesh Chandimal kept his nerve to pull off a
sensational two-wicket win for Sri Lanka in the
fifth and final one-dayer in Abu Dhabi on Friday,
but Pakistan took the five-match series 3-2.
Chandimal finished with 64 not out off 70 balls
and added a match-turning 40 runs for the ninth
wicket with Ajantha Mandis (19 not out) to see
Sri Lanka through with two balls to spare.
Mendis hit the winning boundary and smashed
one of the two sixes in Umar Gul's penultimate
over which cost Pakistan 15 runs and the match.
Chandimal hit his only boundary to reach fifty
before hitting a six off Gul to clinch an unlikely
win after Sri Lanka had wobbled at 195-8,
derailed by Junaid Khan (3-31) and Saeed Ajmal
(2-43).
Sri Lanka, who chased down a 285-run target in
their second one-day win in Dubai, were cruising
along at 113-1 after Kusal Perera (47) and
Tillakaratne Dilshan (45) gave them a brisk start
of 75.
Perera was aggressive right from the word go,
hitting four sixes and three boundaries in his 40-
ball knock, but was trapped leg-before by
Mohammad Hafeez after he attempted a reverse
sweep.
When on 31, Dilshan completed 8,000 one-day
runs, becoming the sixth Sri Lankan to achieve
the milestone.
But Sri Lanka then lost three quick wickets in the
space of just 24 runs, two of those to Junaid.
Junaid had Dilshan caught behind and bowled
Kumar Sangakkara (22) round his legs to
complete 50 wickets in the calendar year.
Gul accounted for Ashan Priyanjan (one) while
skipper Angelo Mathews's laborious 31-ball eight
was ended by paceman Anwar Ali before
Chandimal's rearguard action.
"We were just good enough to win the game,"
said Mathews.
"Once again, a little disappointed with the
batsmen who got starts but didn't go from there.
Mendis came to the party, along with Chandimal,
and got us over the line."
Pakistan captain Misbah-ul Haq said the series
win was satisfying.
"Our team is in good shape," said Misbah.
"Of course, it's disappointing to lose the last
match but overall I am happy the way team won
the series."
Earlier, Misbah top-scored with 51 while in-form
batsman Hafeez, who scored three centuries in
the series, made 41 as Pakistan were bowled out
for 232 in the 50th over.
Anwar Ali chipped in with a fiery 38-ball 41 not
out spiced with one six and two fours.
Pakistan found the going tough after openers
Ahmed Shehzad (17) and Sharjeel Khan (18) by
13th over.
Lasith Malinga made it 70-3 by dismissing
Sohaib Maqsood (seven) before Misbah and
Hafeez shared a 58-run stand for the fourth
wicket before the innings once again was
derailed.
Hafeez was bowled by Angelo Mathews after his
56-ball knock with two boundaries. He finished
the series with 448 runs with three hundreds.
Malinga then came into his own, sending Misbah
back caught behind and then trapped Abdul
Rehman (one) to leave Pakistan struggling at
176-7.
Malinga finished with 4-57.
Misbah hit two boundaries and a six during his
74-ball knock, finishing with 1,371 runs in 34
one-day matches this year -- the most by any
player.
The two teams now play a three-match Test
series, with the first in Abu Dhabi from December
31.
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