Zimbabwe won against Sri Lanka for the fourth time in ODIs in Sri Lanka, making this their joint-best venue outside of Africa after New Zealand.
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Zimbabwe were unlucky to miss out by a narrow margin in the first ODI against Sri Lanka in Pallekele. Sri Lanka won the first match by five wickets which was the most successful chase in Pallekele. But, in the second ODI, Zimbabwe fought back brilliantly. Craig Ervine hit 91 while Sean Williams, who hit a century in the previous match chipped in with 48. Sikandar Raza smashed 56 off 46 balls to help Zimbabwe reach 302/8.
In response, Kamindu Mendis and Dasun Shanaka smashed a fifty and century. Shanaka, in particular, was brilliant with seven fours and four sixes in his knock of 102. But, Tendai Chatara and Blessing Muzarabani’s three wickets helped Zimbabwe win by 22 runs and level the series 1-1. In 2017, Zimbabwe had created history when they won a bilateral series against Sri Lanka for the first time. They clinched the series 3-2. In 2022, they are now on the cusp of securing back-to-back series wins.
However, the victory in Pallekele saw Zimbabwe achieve a unique thing. They now have four wins in Sri Lanka, which is the joint-second most outside of Africa by Zimbabwe. The side has also won four ODIs in New Zealand, but that came in a period of 1997 to 2001. In fact, they won the ODI series in New Zealand at that time. Here is the list of Zimbabwe winning in other countries.
| Country | Matches Played | Matches Won |
| Bangladesh | 44 | 11 |
| New Zealand | 15 | 4 |
| Sri Lanka | 15 | 4 |
| India | 19 | 3 |
| England | 9 | 2 |
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It was a magnificent team effort by Zimbabwe, who did not panic against the Sri Lankans at home. The 106-run stand between Ervine and Williams ensured they had a brilliant base. Raza’s onslaught towards the end showed the batting depth. No team had successfully chased down 300 in Pallekele, with the West Indies coming close in 2019. When Zimbabwe crossed 300 and Raza smashed a fifty, they had a total that the bowlers could defend.
In response, Chatara and Muzarabani sent back Kusal Mendis and Dinesh Chandimal cheaply. With the veterans out, it needed the likes of Charith Asalanka and Chamika Karnaratne as well as Pathum Nissanka to steady the ship. Kamindu Mendis was helped a lot by Dasun Shanaka and the duo stitched a 118-run stand. It made no sense for Shanaka to bat at No.6, especially with the asking rate mounting.
When Shanaka reached his century, Sri Lanka needed 56 from 34 balls. Once he was dismissed, the rest of the batting surrendered meekly. The last ODI will take place in Pallekele on January 21.
