Image: Nissanka gave the Sri Lanka team victory in the match against Zimbabwe / © ESPNcricinfo
On August 31, 2025, Harare Sports Club was buzzing with excitement as Zimbabwe batted first after Sri Lanka’s captain, Charith Asalanka, won the toss and chose to field in the second ODI of the series.
The home side fought their way to a spirited 277/7 in 50 overs, blending dogged top-order batting with a fiery late charge. Ben Curran’s resolute 79 and Sikandar Raza’s unbeaten 59 were the soul of the innings, setting Sri Lanka a target of 278 that promised a heart-racing chase on a pitch alive with pace and a touch of spin.
Zimbabwe’s innings opened with Brian Bennett and Ben Curran facing a charged Sri Lankan attack. The morning pitch, kissed by dew, gave the seamers early zip, and Dushmantha Chameera steamed in with menace. Bennett, all focus and grit, scored 21 off 29 balls, his two boundaries, a buttery cover drive, and a lofted shot soaring over midwicket drawing roars from the stands. But Chameera’s fire broke through in the 10th over. A vicious inswinger tore through Bennett’s guard, getting the stumps to end the opening stand at 55/1. The wicket sparked Sri Lanka’s fielders into life, but Curran stood like a rock, unfazed.
Curran, batting with quiet steel, anchored the innings. His 79 off 95 balls was a masterwork of patience, with nine boundaries sliced through gaps with a surgeon’s precision. He glided against spin, leaned into pace, and kept the scoreboard humming with clever singles. Alongside Brendan Taylor, who grafted 20 off 37 balls, Curran built a 61-run stand for the second wicket. Their partnership thrived on quick dashes between the wickets, but Taylor couldn’t find his rhythm. In the 24th over, Janith Liyanage’s probing medium pace coaxed Taylor into a loose drive, caught at mid-off, leaving Zimbabwe at 116/2. The loss quieted the crowd, and Zimbabwe needed a steady hand.
Captain Sean Williams marched in, eyes set on lifting the tempo. His 20 off 28 balls flashed with a boundary through point and a towering six over long-on, but Asitha Fernando’s cunning struck in the 32nd over. A searing yorker uprooted Williams’ stumps, leaving Zimbabwe at 150/3. Curran’s defiance ended soon after when he miscued a lofted cover drive off Fernando, caught by a sprawling substitute fielder for 79. At 155/4, Zimbabwe wobbled, with Sri Lanka’s bowlers closing in like hawks.
Sikandar Raza, the team’s firebrand, strode in at number five and lit up the crease. His unbeaten 59 off 55 balls wove caution with aggression, featuring five fours and a six launched over midwicket. Raza’s street-smart cricket, like nudging singles in tight overs, hammering loose balls, kept Zimbabwe alive. Tony Munyonga, at six, sparked with 10 off 13 balls, but Dilshan Madushanka’s angled delivery bowled him in the 37th over, leaving Zimbabwe at 176/5. Raza’s grit became the innings’ heartbeat.
The final 10 overs saw Zimbabwe surge, fueled by a 76-run stand between Raza and wicketkeeper Clive Madande. Madande’s 36 off 36 balls crackled with intent. His four boundaries, a soaring cover drive, and a slashing cut shot ignited the crowd. Their stand pushed Zimbabwe past 250, a key marker. Madande fell in the 48th over, bowled by Chameera’s pinpoint yorker. Brad Evans smashed 8 off 5 balls, including a boundary, before Chameera struck again in the 49th over, inducing a catch. Richard Ngarava, unbeaten on 2 off 2, stood with Raza as Zimbabwe closed at 277/7.
Sri Lanka’s bowlers, led by Chameera’s 3/52, battled hard but leaked 22 extras, including 19 wides, padding Zimbabwe’s total. Fernando’s 2/67 snagged key wickets, while Madushanka and Liyanage took one each. Spinners Maheesh Theekshana (0/45) and Asalanka (0/17) toiled without luck but reined in runs at times. Raza’s defiance and Curran’s anchor gave Zimbabwe a shot at victory.
Chasing 278, Sri Lanka delivered a chase for the ages, reaching 278/5 in 49.3 overs to snatch a five-wicket win with three balls left, clinching a 2-0 series sweep. Pathum Nissanka’s sublime 122, earning him Player of the Match and Player of the Series for his 198 runs across the series, was the innings’ soul. Charith Asalanka’s blazing 71 fueled the fire, guiding Sri Lanka through a breathless finish.
The chase kicked off with Nissanka and Nuwanidu Fernando facing Zimbabwe’s pace attack. The pair stitched 48 runs, with Fernando scoring 14 off 27 balls, his two boundaries, a crisp drive through cover, and a flicked shot off his pads showing flair. Brad Evans struck in the 11th over, bowling Fernando with a ball that darted back. Kusal Mendis, the wicketkeeper, followed, limping to 5 off 10 balls before edging Evans to Ben Curran at slip in the 15th over. At 68/2, Sri Lanka teetered, but Nissanka’s calm kept the chase breathing.
Nissanka, batting with poise and power, reached his fifty off 54 balls, his nine boundaries carving gaps with ease. He built a vital 78-run stand with Sadeera Samarawickrama, who scored a composed 31 off 46 balls, including two fours. Samarawickrama’s steady hand complemented Nissanka’s artistry, but Ernest Masuku struck in the 31st over, inducing a catch to Sikandar Raza. At 146/3, Sri Lanka were poised, with Nissanka in full flow.
Captain Charith Asalanka joined Nissanka, and their 90-run stand for the fourth wicket swung the game.
Nissanka reached his century off 111 balls, a knock with 15 fours that danced between grace and grit. His singles and boundaries kept the run rate in hand. Asalanka, meanwhile, blazed 71 off 61 balls, his seven fours, including a lofted cover drive and a thumping pull shot, piling pressure on Zimbabwe’s bowlers. His fifty, off 43 balls, was pure intent. Their stand took Sri Lanka to 236 before Nissanka fell in the 45th over, caught by substitute fielder Wessly Madhevere off Richard Ngarava.
Asalanka’s exit in the 49th over, caught by Brian Bennett off Ngarava, left Sri Lanka needing 6 runs in the final over. With Harare’s stands electric, Janith Liyanage (19 not out off 16 balls, with two fours) and Kamindu Mendis (5 not out off 2 balls, with a four) stayed ice-calm. Blessing Muzarabani bowled the last over but couldn’t hold firm, finishing with 0/54 in 8.3 overs. Liyanage’s cool cover drive and Mendis’ boundary sealed the chase at 278/5 in 49.3 overs.
Zimbabwe’s bowlers struggled to shackle Nissanka and Asalanka. Ngarava and Evans took two wickets each, Masuku one, but the attack lacked venom. Sri Lanka’s chase flowed with 45 runs in the first Powerplay from (0.1-10.0 overs, 166 in the second from 10.1-40.0 overs and 67 in the final Powerplay, showing their mastery.
Dushmantha Chameera’s fiery spell was the TCNI Magic Moment of the Game. The fast bowler delivered a standout performance, finishing with 3/52 in 10 overs at an economy rate of 5.20. Chameera struck early, dismissing Brian Bennett for 21 in the 9.4th over to break Zimbabwe’s opening stand at 55.
His relentless pace and clever variations kept the batters under pressure, with 34 dot balls showcasing his control. In the death overs, he removed Clive Madande (36) in the 47.5th over and Brad Evans (8) in the 49.1st over, ensuring Zimbabwe couldn’t post a daunting total. Chameera’s disciplined bowling was pivotal in restricting Zimbabwe to 277/7, setting up Sri Lanka’s successful chase.
Pathum Nissanka was named TCNI’s Hero of the Day for his breathtaking 122 off 136 balls. His innings, laced with 16 fours, was a masterclass in chasing, blending caution with flair at an 89.70 strike rate.
Nissanka anchored Sri Lanka’s chase of 278, forming key partnerships of 78 with Sadeera Samarawickrama and 90 with Charith Asalanka, keeping the visitors on course. Despite falling to Richard Ngarava in the 44th over, his century laid the foundation for Sri Lanka’s thrilling five-wicket win. Nissanka’s composure and adaptability under pressure made him the standout performer, securing both the match and the series for Sri Lanka.