Pakistan vs Sri Lanka ODI Tri-Series final prediction, lineups and Gaddafi Stadium pitch report — who will win? originally appeared on Cricket News . Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
Pakistan have the bowlers and Sri Lanka have the batters, and on Saturday in Lahore one of them has to give way. The ODI Tri-Series final at the Gaddafi Stadium starts at 1.30pm IST, four days after Sri Lanka bowled Pakistan out for 110 and won by eight wickets with 31.5 overs to spare.
Pakistan had already booked their place in the final by winning their first three game. Sri Lanka still walk in with a slight edge in confidence, and a batting lineup nobody fancies bowling at.
Pakistan's attack has been the best of the three teams over the past fortnight. Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf offer plenty of variety, and with Arafat Minhas and Shadab Khan in support they defended 305 against these opponents in the opener and held England to 241. The trouble is at the other end. Their top three are all short of runs, and when the lower-middle order has to rescue them, as it did not on Tuesday, the innings can fall apart fast.
Sri Lanka have no such worry. They have passed 330 twice in the tournament and chased 430 against England. Pavan Rathnayake has 350 runs at an average of 116.67, with two hundreds against England and a 79 against Pakistan in the opener. Sri Lanka have also won six of their eight ODIs in Lahore, while Pakistan lead the overall head to head 97 to 59 across 161 matches.
Pakistan can win this if their pacemakers take early wickets, as they did in the opener. Over a whole innings, though, Sri Lanka's batting looks the more reliable side of the contest.
The Cricket News Prediction : Sri Lanka to win
Here's how we think both sides will line up in this game
Maaz Sadaqat, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Saad Baig (wk), Salman Agha, Hasan Nawaz, Arafat Minhas, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi (c), Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf
Kamindu Mendis, Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis (c), Pavan Rathnayake, Sahan Arachchige, Janith Liyanage, Dasun Shanaka, Dunith Wellalage, Eshan Malinga, Asitha Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka
386/5 (50 overs) by England vs Sri Lanka
75/10 (22.5 overs) by Pakistan vs Sri Lanka
356/5 (47.3 overs) by Australia vs England
170/8 (40 overs) by West Indies vs Pakistan
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