Pakistan 110 All Out as Sri Lanka Seal Tri-Series Final Spot

Pakistan's unbeaten run in the ODI tri-series came to a shuddering halt at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Tuesday, as Sri Lanka bowled the hosts out for just 110 and then chased the target down with eight wickets and more than 31 overs to spare. The result booked Sri Lanka's place in the October 31 final — against Pakistan — and ended England's hopes of reaching the title match.

It was a defeat that will sting far more than the final margin suggests. Pakistan had already qualified for the final by winning their first three matches of the series, but this was supposed to be a statement performance, a chance to carry momentum into the decider. Instead, they produced their lowest batting display of the series, folded inside 26 overs, and handed Sri Lanka exactly the confidence boost their opponents wanted before Saturday's rematch.

A collapse in 25.3 overs

Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bowl first, and captain Kusal Mendis's decision was vindicated almost immediately. Pakistan never built a partnership of any substance. Fakhar Zaman went for 5, Maaz Sadaqat for 8, and by the time the innings ended, only four Pakistan batters had reached double figures.

Babar Azam top-scored with 29 off 33 balls, a fluent-looking knock that never became the anchor Pakistan needed. Around him, the wickets fell in a steady procession: Saad Baig made 5, Salman Ali Agha 9, and Shadab Khan — the hero of Sunday's one-wicket win over England with an unbeaten century — was gone for just 2. When Babar fell to Eshan Malinga, Pakistan were deep in trouble, and no late resistance arrived to rescue them.

The one partnership of any note came for the seventh wicket, when Hasan Nawaz (17) and Arafat Minhas (10) added 27 runs. It was Pakistan's best stand of the innings, which tells its own story about the day. Once Minhas fell, the tail folded quickly: Haris Rauf made 1, captain Shaheen Shah Afridi hit two sixes in a 15 off 13 balls, and Naseem Shah was left unbeaten on 2 as Pakistan were dismissed for 110 in 25.3 overs.

For a batting line-up that had chased down targets and posted competitive totals throughout the series, this was a collective failure rather than one bad dismissal. Too many batters got starts and got out, too few occupied the crease, and the scoreboard pressure never once shifted back onto Sri Lanka.

Madushanka's career-best five-for

The chief destroyer was left-arm fast bowler Dilshan Madushanka, who finished with career-best figures of 5 for 34 in 8.3 overs. It was his second five-wicket haul in one-day internationals, improving on his previous best of 5 for 80 against India at the 2023 World Cup, and it was built on discipline and a well-executed short-ball plan rather than raw pace.

Madushanka struck early, removing Fakhar Zaman in the fourth over, and returned in his second spell to rip through the lower middle order. He dismissed Minhas with a short ball, had Rauf caught in the slips, and then completed his five-for by removing Shaheen, who top-edged a hook. Every Sri Lankan bowler used took at least one wicket, but Madushanka was the one who set the tone and finished the job.

He was well supported by Sahan Arachchige, who claimed 2 for 24, while Asitha Fernando, Eshan Malinga and Dunith Wellalage picked up one wicket each. Sri Lanka's attack bowled as a unit: they attacked the stumps, used the short ball wisely, and never allowed Pakistan's batters to settle into the kind of long partnerships that had defined the hosts' earlier wins in this series.

Kamindu finishes the job in a hurry

Chasing just 111, Sri Lanka made the target look even smaller. Kamindu Mendis anchored the chase with an unbeaten 62 off 60 balls, hitting eight fours and two sixes, and he did it after an early reprieve, when a chance went down off Shaheen Shah Afridi in the opening over. Kamindu made Pakistan pay in full, taking boundaries off Naseem Shah and then welcoming Haris Rauf to the attack with three consecutive fours.

Pakistan did strike twice in quick succession — Avishka Fernando fell for 16 and captain Kusal Mendis for 8 — but by then Sri Lanka needed fewer than 50 runs, and the contest was effectively over. Kamindu brought up his half-century with a six, and Pavan Rathnayake finished unbeaten on 23 off 26 balls as Sri Lanka reached 114 for 2 in just 18.1 overs, with 191 balls to spare.

The entire match lasted fewer than 44 overs combined. For Pakistan, the concern is not just the defeat but the manner of it: a batting collapse at home, in a match that mattered for momentum, against the very team they will face again in the final.

The final picture: Pakistan vs Sri Lanka on October 31

The result settles the final line-up. Pakistan finish the league stage with six points from three wins in four matches, while Sri Lanka move to four points from two wins in three games and join them in the final. England, still without a point after three defeats, are eliminated, which makes Thursday's Sri Lanka vs England fixture a dead rubber in terms of qualification — though England will still want a win to salvage pride from the tour.

For Sri Lanka, the win also ends a run of defeats against Pakistan and gives them a genuine psychological edge heading into the decider. They have now shown they can dismantle this Pakistan batting line-up, and they will arrive at the final believing the trophy is within reach.

For Pakistan, the task before Saturday is clear. The top order needs runs — Fakhar Zaman and Maaz Sadaqat have both struggled for fluency in this series — and the middle order must find a way to build partnerships when the early wickets fall. The bowling attack, which has been Pakistan's strength for much of the series, was given almost nothing to defend on Tuesday, and that is a batting problem first and a bowling problem second.

There is also a selection conversation to be had. Pakistan made changes for this match, and the batting order looked unsettled from the start. Whether the team management sticks with the same combination or makes a change for the final, the message from Tuesday is unmistakable: the final will not be won on reputation, and Sri Lanka have already proved they can beat this side.

Match summary

Match	Result
Pakistan vs Sri Lanka, 5th ODI, Tri-Series, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, October 27, 2026	Sri Lanka won by 8 wickets
Pakistan	110 all out in 25.3 overs (Babar Azam 29, Hasan Nawaz 17, Shaheen Shah Afridi 15; Dilshan Madushanka 5-34, Sahan Arachchige 2-24)
Sri Lanka	114 for 2 in 18.1 overs (Kamindu Mendis 62 not out, Pavan Rathnayake 23 not out)
Player of the match	Dilshan Madushanka (5-34)
Final	Pakistan vs Sri Lanka, October 31, 2026

Points table after the 5th ODI

Team	Played	Won	Points
Pakistan (qualified)	4	3	6
Sri Lanka (qualified)	3	2	4
England (eliminated)	3	0	0

Pakistan are already through to the final, so Tuesday's defeat does not change their destination — but it changes the mood around it. Sri Lanka will not be travelling to the final as underdogs in their own minds. Pakistan have four days to fix a batting display that lasted barely 25 overs, and Saturday's rematch will show whether this was a bad day or a warning.

Images: Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore (Wikimedia Commons, illustrative — venue photos, not match photos). Sources: Cricbuzz, Sportradar, Cricinfo via Devdiscourse, A-Sports, Shafaqna/Dunya News, CricketAddictor.