Pakistan elects to bowl first in ODI tri-series final against Sri Lanka

Team changes for the final

Pakistan replaced Shadab Khan with seam-bowling all-rounder Faheem Ashraf for the final. Shadab Khan is missing the match due to an illness after serving as the hero of Pakistan's win against England last Sunday.

Sri Lanka captain Kusal Mendis said the team was prepared to bat first because the wicket felt better than in recent matches. The team brought in spinner Maheesh Theekshana to replace seamer Eshan Malinga, who was expensive in the previous match.

Sri Lanka now fields two spinners and two seamers in their frontline attack. The team requires 10 overs from their top seven batters, following the pattern maintained throughout the tri-series. Mendis said the team was confident and knew their roles for the final.

Captains' strategy and pitch conditions

Aamer Sohail assessed the Gaddafi Stadium pitch as nicely rolled with little grass, noting it should be excellent for batting. He added the surface could assist spinners later in the match if dew remains minimal.

Pakistan captain Shaheen Afridi opted to field first, citing the late arrival of evening dew. Afridi said the expected conditions would make fielding more difficult for the side batting second.

Pakistan previously batted second in every tournament game and chased targets successfully. Due to an illness, Shadab Khan remains sidelined, while Faheem Ashraf joins the lineup.

Early match action

Shaheen Afridi opened the bowling against Kamindu Mendis, delivering a dot ball down the off side. Afridi then sent a fuller outswinger to Avishka Fernando, who played the ball directly back to the bowler.

He followed with a fuller inswinger down the leg side that Fernando missed during his flick attempt. Naseem Shah tested Fernando with a hard-length ball outside off, which the batter fended toward cover.

Against Mendis, Shah delivered a back-of-a-length ball outside off, resulting in a single to deep backward point. Shah then pitched a fuller ball on the leg stump, which Mendis clipped behind deep square leg for a boundary.

Tournament form and context

Pakistan entered the final as the tournament favorite despite a heavy defeat to Sri Lanka on Tuesday. The team won three of its first four matches to secure a spot in the final, but now must move past the loss from earlier this week.

Pakistan relies on a bowling attack that stands out as the team's primary strength. Conversely, the top three batters are out of form, leaving the lower-middle order to compensate for these persistent struggles. This batting weakness was exposed during earlier matches against England and Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka brings an aggressive batting lineup to the final, defined by big scores and frequent strokeplay. The team chased 430 runs against England and produced two scores above 330 during the series. Pavan Rathnayake currently leads the team in runs, while Dilshan Madushanka delivered a decisive spell against Pakistan in the league stage. Sri Lanka aims to build on that performance to win the final.

Pre-match ceremonies

Pre-match ceremonies opened with the playing of the national anthem of Sri Lanka. The national anthem of Pakistan followed to conclude the proceedings before the first ball was bowled.