Salman Agha celebrates reaching his fourth ODI hundred  •  Aamir Qureshi/AFP/Getty Images

Rathnayake and Liyanage revive the chase with a 119-run stand, but a late collapse costs Sri Lanka dearly in Rawalpindi

Sri Lanka squandered a golden opportunity to pull off a memorable victory, losing their last five wickets for just 15 runs to hand Pakistan a 37-run win in the opening match of the ODI tri-series at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

Chasing 306 for victory, Sri Lanka appeared to have wrested control of the contest through a superb fifth-wicket partnership between Pavan Rathnayake and Janith Liyanage. The pair added 119 runs to revive a chase that had threatened to fall apart, bringing Sri Lanka within 55 runs of victory with seven overs remaining.

But just when the game was there for the taking, Sri Lanka threw away their advantage in a dramatic collapse that allowed Pakistan’s fast bowlers to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

Rathnayake top-scored with a fluent 79, while Liyanage made an equally valuable 60. Their partnership transformed Sri Lanka’s fortunes after the top order failed to provide the platform required for a challenging chase. Yet neither innings could be converted into the match-winning contribution Sri Lanka desperately needed.

Rathnayake’s dismissal, caught by Salman Agha off Faheem Ashraf, ended a promising knock and left Sri Lanka needing 53 runs. Liyanage was then dismissed for 60, chipping Haris Rauf to long-on, and Pakistan seized the opening. Dasun Shanaka followed soon afterwards, falling to Shaheen Afridi, as Sri Lanka’s resistance crumbled.

From a position of genuine promise, Sri Lanka lost their remaining wickets for a mere 15 runs, handing Pakistan a victory that had looked increasingly uncertain during the middle stages of the chase.

The defeat will be particularly frustrating for Sri Lanka given how well they had recovered from a poor start. Pakistan’s pace attack had reduced them to four wickets down, leaving the visitors struggling to keep pace with the asking rate. Rathnayake and Liyanage, however, batted with composure and attacking intent, punishing loose deliveries and putting pressure on a Pakistan bowling attack that had begun to lose its grip.

Sri Lanka’s inability to finish the job was in stark contrast to Salman Agha’s performance earlier in the evening. Returning to the Pakistan side, Agha produced a commanding 107 off 90 balls to steer the hosts to 305 after they had slipped to four wickets down.

Agha held the innings together with crucial partnerships alongside Hasan Nawaz and Arafat Minhas, ensuring Pakistan recovered from a precarious position to post a competitive total. His fourth ODI century proved decisive, particularly after Sri Lanka’s bowlers had fought back impressively in the closing overs.

Eshan Malinga was Sri Lanka’s most successful bowler, claiming four wickets for 46 runs, while Asitha Fernando took three for 59. Their late strikes restricted Pakistan from what had threatened to become a much bigger total.

However, Sri Lanka’s bowlers had done enough to give their batters a realistic chance of winning. The failure to capitalise on that opportunity made the eventual defeat all the more disappointing.

Pakistan’s fast bowlers delivered when it mattered most, with Afridi claiming three wickets for 55 runs to lead the attack. Their ability to exploit Sri Lanka’s mistakes at the crucial stage proved the difference between the two sides.

For Sri Lanka, the loss was not simply a case of falling short against a formidable opponent. It was a match they had brought within their reach before surrendering control through a succession of poor decisions and irresponsible shots at the finish.

As the tri-series, which also features England, gathers momentum, Sri Lanka will need to address their inability to close out promising situations. Their recovery through Rathnayake and Liyanage demonstrated that they possessed the batting resources to challenge Pakistan.

What they lacked was the composure to finish the job.

Scores: Pakistan 305 (Salman Agha 107, Eshan Malinga 4/46, Asitha Fernando 3/59) beat Sri Lanka 268 (Pavan Rathnayake 79, Janith Liyanage 60, Shaheen Afridi 3/55) by 37 runs.