Chamari Athapaththu's all-round show powers Sri Lanka to 2-1 series win over Pakistan

Sri Lanka registered an emphatic eight-wicket win in the third ODI at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium in Sooriyawewa, Hambantota, to clinch the three-match series 2-1.

Skipper Chamari Athapaththu was the star for the hosts on Tuesday (July 28) and was awarded the Player of the Match (POTM). She bagged figures of 3/27 and then scored a half-century to take her side over the line. 

Sri Lanka followed the same strategy as the second one-dayer as Athapaththu chose to chase after the coin fell in her favour. Right-arm pacer Chethana Vimukthi was on a rampage as she dismissed Sadaf Shamas, last game's centurion Sidra Amin and Ayesha Zafar in quick succession to leave Pakistan tottering at 10/3 inside the first two overs of their innings.

Pakistan were in tatters, but a 68-run stand between Muneeba Ali and opener Gull Feroza for the fourth wicket resuscitated them. Feroza was the aggressor in the partnership as she scored a 35-ball 40, laced with five fours at a strike rate of 114.28.

Feroza's wicket in the 16th over impeded Pakistan's progress as she was trapped in front of her stumps by Athapaththu. Muneeba then added 32 runs alongside wicketkeeper batter Najiha Alvi before she fell to Inoka Ranaweera. Alvi and Pakistan captain Fatima Sana stitched a 30-run partnership for the sixth wicket before Athapaththu accepted a caught and bowled opportunity to get rid of Alvi.

Sana waged a lone battle in the end and was the last wicket to fall as the tourists got bowled out for 187 in just 40 overs. The Pakistan captain top-scored for her side with a 49-ball 41, including two fours and a six at a strike rate of 83.67.

Vimukthi, Athapaththu and Kavisha Dilhari claimed three wickets apiece.

Pakistan knew they didn't have enough on the board and therefore needed to make early inroads to stand a chance at defending the total. However, their new-ball burst lacked discipline as Athapaththu and Vishmi Gunaratne exploited it.

The Sri Lankan openers added 46 in 6.3 overs before Gunaratne was nicked off by Sana for 12. Athapaththu, however, carried on and decimated Pakistan's bowling attack. She scored a 38-ball 52, including seven boundaries and two sixes at a strike rate of 136.84.

Athapaththu fell to Umm-e-Hani in the 15th over, but Sri Lanka had already made a massive dent in their target. Pakistan didn't get any more reasons to celebrate as Player of the Series Harshitha Samarawickrama and Hasini Perera put together an unbeaten 106-run stand to take the team over the line.

Samarawickrama powered her way to another half-century, scoring 71 off 92, including 11 fours. She was ably backed up by Perera, who also notched up a half-century with the help of eight fours. Samarawickrama aggregated 173 runs in the series, averaging 173.00, including a hundred and a fifty.

Both sides will now gear up for the three-match T20I series, starting July 31 in Dambulla.