Sri Lanka opener Pathum Nissanka scored a match-winning hundred to help his team clean-sweep the two-match ODI series against Zimbabwe in Harare.
Batting first, Zimbabwe posted a total of 277-7, spearheaded by Ben Curran’s 79 – his third consecutive fifty-plus score in ODIs. Sikandar Raza, who almost pulled off a stunning chase in the series opener with his 92, contributed an unbeaten 59.
In response, Sri Lanka chased down the target with three balls and five wickets remaining. Nissanka built on his 76 from the last match by providing yet another solid start. He went on to anchor the chase with 122 from 136 balls, an innings studded with 16 fours. Captain Charith Asalanka supported him with a handy 71 from No. 5. Sri Lanka completed a clean sweep of the two-match ODI series 2-0, with Nissanka named Player of the Series.
2nd ODI, Zimbabwe vs Sri Lanka
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Nissanka ascends various Sri Lankan batting lists
This was Nissanka's seventh hundred of his ODI career, the fourth most by any Sri Lanka opener in men's ODIs. He surpassed former captain Marvan Atapattu, with whom he was previously tied at joint-fourth with six tons. Only Upul Tharanga (15), Tillakaratne Dilshan (21) and Sanath Jayasuriya (28) have scored more.
Overall, Nissanka is seventh on the list of century-makers for Sri Lanka. The closest players he can overtake are Atapattu and the 1996 World Cup hero Aravinda de Silva, both of whom have 11 centuries to their names.
Sri Lanka have never lost a match when Nissanka has scored a century. This places him sixth on the list of Sri Lankan batters with the most ODI hundreds in winning causes. Among his centuries, six have come during successful run-chases, putting him joint-third on that list alongside Mahela Jayawardene. The national record for centuries in successful chases is held jointly by Jayasuriya and Dilshan, both of whom scored nine.
Since his debut, Nissanka has scored 2,746 runs at an average of 41.60. No other player has scored more runs during this period.
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