Pakistan make it 4-0

Medium pacer Hasan Ali grabbed three wickets to celebrate his rise to the top of the one-day rankings as Pakistan downed Sri Lanka by seven wickets in the fourth day-night international in Sharjah on Friday.

Hasan took 3 for 37 while spinners Shadab Khan (2-29) and Imad Wasim (2-13) also chipped in with useful wickets as Sri Lanka were skittled out for 173 in 43.4 overs.

Only Lahiru Thirimanne resisted with a 94-ball 62 on a flat pitch at Sharjah stadium on which Babar Azam scored a stroke filled 69 not out and Shoaib Malik matched him, also with an unbeaten 69, to help Pakistan overhaul the low target in 39 overs.

Despite Pakistan losing three early wickets, the target was never out of reach as Azam and Malik shared an unbroken 119 runs fourth-wicket stand.

Malik smashed Milinda Siriwardana for a boundary and a six to seal the victory.

He hit three sixes in all and two boundaries in his 81-ball knock while Azam, who had scored successive hundreds in the first two matches, had five boundaries off 101 balls.

Pakistan lost Imamul Haq for two after his debut hundred in the last match while Fakhar Zaman fell for 17 and Mohammad Hafeez made nine.

SCORES IN BRIEF

SRI LANKA: 173 all out in 43.4 overs (Dickwella 22, Thirimanne 62, Dananjaya 18, Lakmal 23 not out; Wasim 2-13, Hasan 3-37, Shadab 2-29)

PAKISTAN: 177 for 3 in 39 overs (Fakhar 17, Babar 69 not out, Malik 69 not out; Gamage 1-27)

Result: Pakistan won by 7 wickets and lead 5-match series 4-0.

Player-of-the-match: Babar Azam.