Sri Lanka Women have officially secured their first bilateral ODI series victory over Pakistan Women in 24 years, wrapping up a 2-1 series win with a commanding eight-wicket performance in the third and final match on Tuesday, July 28. This result marks a significant turnaround for the hosts, who successfully broke a streak of four consecutive series wins for Pakistan.
The match began with a disastrous start for Pakistan after they were put in to bat. Chetana Vimukthi, appearing in just her fifth ODI, dismantled the top order early, leaving Pakistan reeling at 10/3 by the second over. While Gull Feroza and Muneeba Ali attempted to stabilize the innings with a 68-run partnership, captain Chamari Athapaththu eventually broke the stand by dismissing Feroza. Despite a brief period of resistance from Najiha Alvi, the innings suffered a second collapse, sliding from 110/4 to 146/7. Captain Fatima Sana provided a late surge with a resilient 41, helping her side reach 187 all out in 40 overs, with Athapaththu and Kavisha Dilhari cleaning up the tail.
In response, Sri Lanka cruised to the target of 188 with 76 balls to spare. Although opener Vishmi Gunaratne fell in the seventh over, she had already provided a stable start alongside the aggressive Athapaththu. The captain, who hit three fours and a six off Tasmia Rubab in the sixth over, reached her 30th ODI fifty-plus score during the chase. Following her dismissal, Harshitha Samarawickrama and Hasini Perera maintained the momentum with an undefeated partnership. Perera, who has seen a resurgence in her batting form this year, helped guide the team to victory.
Chamari Athapaththu was named Player of the Match for her all-round performance with both bat and ball. Meanwhile, Harshitha Samarawickrama earned the Player of the Series award, finishing the contest with 173 runs while being dismissed only once across the three games. The teams are now set to transition to the T20I series, which begins on July 31 in Dambulla.
Two overs in, Pakistan were down to 10/3.
By then, Athapaththu had completed her 30th fifty-plus score in ODIs, and half the required runs had been shaved off.
