Pakistan chased down 326 to beat Sri Lanka by three wickets in the final of the tri-nation series on Saturday at a packed Gaddafi Stadium, sealing the title with nine balls to spare in what was the joint-highest successful chase in an ODI final.

Shaheen Shah Afridi, the captain, finished it in style — a six slapped over midwicket off Dilshan Madushanka in the 49th over — after Hasan Nawaz had levelled the scores with a dab to backward point. Pakistan finished on 327 for seven in 48.3 overs.

For Fakhar Zaman, this was an innings that answered the questions swirling around his place in the side.

He had spent much of the first innings off the field after copping a blow while fielding, and came out to open with his team 22 for two inside four overs and the chase already wobbling.

His early stay was scratchy. He was dropped on three by Madushanka at deep third, and again on 69 by Mahesh Theekshana, who put down a return catch and later tipped a six over the rope.

But from the wreckage of Pakistan’s top order he built an innings of substance, adding 149 with Saad Baig, who made 74 off 75 in his maiden half-century.

Fakhar reached his 20th ODI fifty in the 22nd over, then his 12th ODI century in the 30th, pulling Asitha Fernando in front of square off 84 balls.

He was finally bowled by Madushanka for 127 off 99 — 11 fours and six sixes — charging and missing a slog in the 34th over, walking off to a standing ovation from a full house. It was, by common consent, a vintage Fakhar innings on the biggest occasion.

If Fakhar held the chase together, Arafat Minhas won it.

The all-rounder walked in at 230 for five in the 37th over with Pakistan needing 96 from 78 balls, and played the innings of his young career — 61 off 31 balls, with three fours and four sixes.

His check-drive six over long-on off Madushanka in the 46th over was the shot of the night, and his two sixes and a four off Asitha in the 47th brought the target within sight.

He fell in the 48th over, caught-and-bowled by Asitha, and the Gaddafi Stadium rose as one.

Sri Lanka’s innings

Pakistan had won the toss and elected to field, and the decision looked sound early as Sri Lanka’s openers Kamindu Mendis and Avishka Fernando scored briskly without risk, taking the visitors past 50 without loss inside ten overs.

Pakistan had brought in Faheem Ashraf for Shadab Khan, ruled out on medical grounds after being struck by a bouncer in the fifth ODI, while Sri Lanka replaced the pace of Eshan Malinga with the spin of Mahesh Theekshana.

The contrasting selections suggested both sides had read the conditions differently, and Pakistan’s pace attack struggled for early impact.

It was Salman Ali Agha who provided the breakthroughs, claiming both wickets to fall before the final ten overs.

Avishka missed a sweep and was leg-before in the 18th over, and four overs later Kusal Mendis stepped out and drove the ball back at Salman, who leapt to take a superb return catch.

Beyond those two dismissals the innings belonged to Kamindu, who took charge through the middle overs and brought up his century in the 34th over, cutting Faheem over the wicket-keeper’s head. Pavan Rathnayake gave him valuable support, the pair adding 146 for the third wicket, with Rathnayake making 77 off 65 balls.

Kamindu’s 131 off 128 balls, with 12 fours and two sixes, anchored the innings. At 238 for two after 40 overs, Sri Lanka looked set for a total beyond 350.

But Pakistan’s death bowling pulled it back. Shaheen trapped Kamindu leg-before in the 42nd over and dismissed Dasun Shanaka soon after for a brisk 17 off nine.

Haris Rauf had Rathnayake caught by Babar Azam at wide long-on, and he and Naseem Shah removed Dunith Wellalage and Sahan Arachchige in quick succession.

Naseem’s wayward penultimate over let Sri Lanka past 320, but they lost six for 70 in the last ten overs to finish on 325 for eight.

Pakistan’s innings

Pakistan’s reply began badly. Maaz Sadaqat charged Madushanka in the second over and edged to slip for five, and in the fourth Babar Azam, under scrutiny for his form, drove at a floated delivery and was caught by a solitary fourth slip — a trap set by Kusal Mendis and executed to perfection. Babar departed for a five-ball duck, and Lahore went quiet.

From there on , Saad joined forces with Fakhar and steadied Pakistan’s innings.

Saad brought up his maiden half-century in the 19th over, and Fakhar reached his 20th ODI fifty in the 22nd. The pair added 149, and Fakhar rode his luck — dropped on three by Madushanka, and again on 69 by Theekshana.

Saad fell for 74 off 75, chipping a full delivery back to Theekshana in the 27th over. Fakhar, growing fluent, reached his century in the 30th over. Salman Agha made 17 before Wellalage bowled him with one that skidded under his slog sweep, and Fakhar’s innings ended in the 34th over, bowled by Madushanka for 127.

That left Pakistan 220 for four, needing 106 from 96 balls, and when Salman fell at 230 for five the game was alive again. Hasan Nawaz and Arafat Minhas steadied, then accelerated. Arafat’s 61 off 31 turned the chase, and he and Hasan added 50 off 49 balls.

Asitha removed Arafat, caught-and-bowled, and Faheem Ashraf first ball in the same over to briefly raise Sri Lankan hopes, but Hasan and Shaheen held their nerve, and the captain’s six sealed it.

The win is Pakistan’s first ODI tri-series title since the Kitply Cup in Dhaka, when they beat India in the final, and it comes days after they were bowled out for 110 by this same Sri Lankan side in the league stage — a collapse that had raised fresh questions about the batting.

Those questions were answered, at least for one night, by Fakhar, whose place in the side had itself been under discussion, and by Arafat, whose striking drew comparisons with a genuine match-winner. The dew that Pakistan had hoped for arrived late, but by then the hosts had found their own momentum.

Sri Lanka, who had chased 430 against England in the league stage, will rue the missed chances — two lives for Fakhar, a dropped catch and a boundary conceded at deep cover — and a death-overs collapse with the bat that left them just short of a total that might have been enough.