Featuring for Pakistan for the first time since June last year, Shadab Khan impressed with the ball, teaming up with Abrar Ahmed as Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by six wickets in the opening fixture of the three-match Twenty20 International series at the Rangiri Dambulla Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.

The all-rounder took two wickets, while Abrar hunted three victims to restrict Sri Lanka to a paltry 128-run total before Sahibzada Farhan’s half century helped Pakistan chase down the target with 20 balls to spare.

Shadab gave away only 25 runs in his four overs, bagging both his wickets in his very first over and could have gone on to take a third had it not been for a dropped catch later on.

Coming into bowl in the seventh over, after Mohammad Wasim and Salman Mirza’s pace — that accounted for a wicket for each — saw Sri Lanka post 35-2 in the powerplay, Shadab trapped a sweeping Kusal Mendis lbw and induced an inside edge off Dhananjaya de Silva’s bat for wicket-keeper Usman Khan to take a good catch.

With Sri Lanka looking to break the stranglehold while at 59-4 by the halfway stage, it was an opportunity for Abrar to pounce on. The mystery spinner deceived Charith Asalanka into playing a googly across, only to be caught behind, leaving Sri Lanka reeling at 72-5 halfway through the 12th over.

The incoming Wanindu Hasaranga initiated a counterattack of sorts lofting Abrar for a boundary in the 14th over.  Liyanage joined in a slap off Mohammad Nawaz through the covers before dispatching the left-arm spinner past long-on, bringing up the 100-run mark for Sri Lanka.

Luck followed for Liyanage as an edge flew off his bat for another boundary as 16 runs came in the 15th over.

Hasaranga targetted Abrar once again, clubbing him straight down the ground for another four, but holed the spinner to Fakhar Zaman at deep cover to depart for 18 off 12, ending the only partnership that looked to threaten Pakistan.

Liyanage (40 off 31) followed suit in the 18th, finding Nawaz in the deep off Abrar (3-25) as he tried to clear the long-on fence. 

Salman Mirza (3-18) returned to dismiss Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka and the incoming Dushmantha Chameera before Wasim (2-7) wrapped up the first innings proceedings.

Pakistan, in response, took off with a flurry of brilliant attacking shots by openers Saim Ayub and Sahibzada lead the side to a 59-1 by the end of the powerplay, with Saim departing on the penultimate ball of the sixth over.

The left-hander was castled by Theekshana but only after having hit three fours and a six — a lofted drive over cover — for his 18-ball 24. Sahibzada, on the other end, had used brute power to dispatch Chameera for sixes down the ground and over square-leg.

Sahibzada continued the onslaught, welcoming Chameera back with a straight drive for four more before captain Salman Ali Agha, having just joined him, danced down the ground to play Hasaranga’s leg-spin over his head for another boundary.

The skipper pushed Theekshana for his second boundary in the next over as Pakistan posted 92-1 by the halfway stage, but holed a juicy full toss by Hasranga to long-on to depart for 16 off 10.

Sahibzada (51 off 36) brought up his third half century in five matches with a cut for three off Chameera in the 12th over, reaching the milestone in 35 balls. But the right-hander perished three balls later, finding Shanaka at mid-off off Chameera.

Pakistan received yet another blow when Fakhar was stumped off Dhananjaya de Silva with 23 runs needed off 40 balls.

The incoming Shadab (18 not out off 12), however, brought Pakistan within touching distance of a win with a square-drive and a pull for consecutive boundaries off Chameera in the 15th over before Pakistan crossed the finish line with 20 balls to spare.