Pakistan’s Asian Games gold-medal dream in women’s cricket ended in Nisshin on Sunday, as a blistering unbeaten 83 from Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu powered her side to an eight-wicket win in the first semi-final, sending Pakistan into the bronze-medal match instead.
Chasing a competitive 177 for 4 set up by half-centuries from Pakistan’s in-form top order, Sri Lanka cruised home in just 17.5 overs, losing only two wickets. Athapaththu, who came in during a 95-run second-wicket stand with Hasini Perera, reached her fifty off 37 balls before accelerating sharply, finishing on 83 not out from 50 deliveries studded with seven fours and six sixes. Perera made a brisk 42 off 26 balls, and Imesha Dulani chipped in with an unbeaten cameo as the chase never looked in doubt in its closing stages.
Earlier, Pakistan had posted a solid 177 for 4 after being put in to bat, built around a 115-run third-wicket partnership between Ayesha Zafar and Shawaal Zulfiqar. Zafar top-scored with a rapid 71 off just 40 balls, hitting nine fours and two sixes before being run out, while Zulfiqar made a composed 54. Fatima Sana added an unbeaten 20 off 12 balls in the closing overs to push the total past 170, but it proved well short against an inspired Athapaththu.
| Team / Innings | Score | Overs | Key Batters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pakistan Women (1st innings) | 177/4 | 20 | Ayesha Zafar 71, Shawaal Zulfiqar 54, Fatima Sana 20* |
| Sri Lanka Women (chase) | 178/2 | 17.5 | Chamari Athapaththu 83*, Hasini Perera 42 |
With the win, Sri Lanka advance to the Asian Games final, where they will face the winner of the tournament’s other semi-final. In the second last-four clash, also played in Nisshin, India thrashed Bangladesh by 114 runs behind a Shafali Verma century to book the other final berth — meaning Sri Lanka will meet India for gold, while Pakistan will now play Bangladesh in the bronze-medal playoff.
Pakistan had reached the semi-final on the back of a strong group-stage run, but this is the second time in recent weeks the side has fallen to Sri Lanka at the business end of a major tournament, having also lost to them in the semi-finals of the Women’s Asia Cup earlier this month, according to ESPNcricinfo’s coverage of the tournament.
Our Opinion
Pakistan’s women have shown real progress this year — reaching back-to-back knockout stages of continental events is no small feat — but Sunday’s defeat exposes a recurring pattern: a competitive total built by the top order is still being undone by one standout counter-attacking innings from the opposition, and twice now that innings has come from Chamari Athapaththu. The bowling attack’s inability to find an answer for a set batter in the death overs is the area the team management will need to address before the next major assessment; a bronze medal is still very much within reach, and a strong showing there would be a fair reflection of how far this side has come, even if Sunday’s result stings.
