Noman Ali seven-for wraps up Pakistan's 2-0 victory
Sri Lanka went down by an innings and 222 runs, their worst-ever defeat at home
Sri Lanka went down by an innings and 222 runs, their worst-ever defeat at home
Scorer: Sudeep Poojar | Commentator: Vishal Dikshit
5.06pm That's the end of our coverage from this tour. The victorious Pakistan team collects the trophy, gets behind the 'Champions' board and soaks in the celebration under the sun. Noman lifts the trophy with his usual gum-chewing attitude and his team-mates gather around him. Thanks for joining everyone, hope you all enjoyed the coverage brought to you by all of us. We'll soon have the report up, and some analysis pieces as well. Until then, goodbye, good luck and stay safe! It's Vishal Dikshit signing off...
Presentation coming up, and let me tell you, Pakistan are leading the WTC table right now...
Babar Azam: Very proud to win this series and all credit to guys and the support staff for working so hard in the last 3-4 months. Everyone stepped up and showed hunger to win this series. To be honest we haven't ticked all the boxes, but we are working on our batting and fielding. The way our bowlers bowled here was good because there wasn't much and especially today to put pressure on them. It's a team game, but we've had outstanding innings in both Test matches from Saudi, Salman, Abdullah Shafique. We're looking series by series in the coming [white-ball] games and will try to perform well. Being aggressive was part of the plan, it's something we had discussed before coming here. We wanted to play positive cricket. So all the credit to the boys. It's not easy to play spin here but they played very well.
Dimuth Karunaratne: In the Galle Test we had to stand up after we won't the toss, and 160 was not going to be enough. We knew it was flat and a lot of our batsmen threw the wickets and that was the turning point. We couldn't capitalise after getting starts. Batters were getting 20s, 30s but nobody got a hundred. That's what Pakistan were able to do and we're on the losing side. We have to sit down and talk about what went wrong, what we should do when the ball is turning or reversing. Do we have to step out and attack? They batted really well, they rotated the strike, and these things we have to learn. We couldn't rotate the strike and kept looking for boundaries. Not too many Tests coming up is challenging, that's how it's been for the last few years. It's really tough but the players have to mentally step up, play domestic cricket, keep their fitness up. For me there are no small positives except that Prabath Jayasuriya controlled his line and length, and Dhananjaya de Silva had a good series. Otherwise we didn't have a good series or small positives.
Agha Salman is the Player of the Series: We were 100 for 5 and I spoke to Saud and said we need to build a partnership. We wanted to be positive and that's how we had prepared in our camps in Lahore and Karachi. We wanted to play a positive brand of cricket and that's how we had worked on our skills. I don't mind batting at No. 5, 6 or 7, I'm just happy to play for Pakistan. I just try to play positive cricket.
Abdullah Shafique is the Player of the Match: I'd like to thank Allah that we've won a series here. We really needed it and it's a confidence booster for us. It's pleasing to win and I'm very happy. Yeah, you can say that (it's a happy hunting ground for me). I contributed in my team's victory and that's important.
Awais: "Shafique should be the MoM in my opinion.. he set up this win for Pakistan.. Noman was brilliant but this match was almost done and dusted after Pak took that 400 lead in the first innings..."
4.47pm We'll have the presentation coming up soon. Until then, people are asking who will be the Player of the Match, Shafique or Noman? Let's see, let's see. And yes, it is Pakistan's biggest win against Sri Lanka, and fourth-biggest overall when it comes to innings wins.
Daniyal Faquih: "A good comeback from Pakistan after a forgettable home test season." frodo: "This is THE PAKISTAN WAY! And I'm lovin it."
bob: "1994 was 20 years ago? Babe, I hate to tell you..." Oops! Shows how old I am.
4.35pm Clinical victory from Pakistan after dominating for the last three days, but today was all about Noman Ali to wrap up this innings-and-222-run win. Noman leads the team off after handshakes and hugs all around, and the dejected Sri Lankan players walk out as well for the formalities. Noman sent down 23 overs today out of nearly 68, eight of those maidens, and the highlight reel will be only him hopping from around the wicket, teasing and beating the batters with his flight, change of pace, turn, bounce and taking as many as seven wickets to script this historic victory and 2-0 series win.
Sri Lanka will have to take a hard look at themselves after this loss. They've gone down 2-0, they've not picked wickets like they should have, they've not been able to bat even a single entire day in this Test match, and they were absolutely no match or Pakistan in either Test. It's also their second 2-0 or whitewash loss at home since 2021, after they went down to England in Galle in both games. The last time Pakistan whitewashed Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka? Back in 1994, when the three-Test series became a two-Test series because the second game was cancelled without a ball bowled because of the curfew following the general election. So it's been almost 30 years!
Arif: "If SL will play one more innings, I am sure they will loose again" Ouch!
D Madushanka b Naseem Shah 0 (2m 3b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00
Dilshan Madushanka the last man. Short leg and silly mid-on out there
"That's Naseem's 50th wicket!!" Good spot, Ali
AM Fernando b Naseem Shah 0 (5m 2b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00
First time I saw Noman hit 90kmh today
Sri Lanka went down by an innings and 222 runs, their worst-ever defeat at home
Even when he took 7 for 70, in the second Test against Sri Lanka, he had to share the limelight
Sarfaraz was struck on the helmet by an Asitha Fernando delivery and, after continuing to bat for a while, retired hurt
The visitors scored 385 runs on day three for just the loss of just three wickets, ending with a lead of 397
The team's new approach wasn't his natural game, but they believed he could adapt and now he believes it too