The series wrapped up and taken home on Christmas, Pakistan will look to end the one-day international series on a high when they take on Sri Lanka in the 5th ODI in Abu Dhabi on Friday.
Where to Watch Live
The match is scheduled for a 4.30 pm IST start and 4pm PST start with live coverage on Sony Six in India. Pakistan viewers can catch the action on Geo Super, with the broadcaster also providing a free live streaming option HERE. Viewers in Sri Lanka can watch the match live online HERE. The match can be live streamed in the US HERE.
Pakistan sealed a 3-1 series win courtesy an easy-as-you-can victory over Sri Lanka in the 4th ODI on Christmas day, and Misbah-ul-Haq and co will now target a 4-1 thumping ahead of the three-match Test series against their fellow sub continent side.
The last two one-dayers have been as easy as an apple pie for Pakistan, when at one point it looked like being a closely-fought series.
The improvement is largely down to both aspects of the game coming to the fore, with Mohammad Hafeez continuing to impress with the bat - the right-hander cracked his third century of the series on Wednesday - and the bowlers doing their job as well when asked.
A 113-run win in the third one-dayer was followed up with an eight-wicket breeze a couple of days back, a win which ended the series as a contest.
Pakistan, fielding at the top for the first time in the series, restricted Sri Lanka to just 225 all out in 48.5 overs, with the bowlers - Umar Gul, Junaid Khan and Saeed Ajmal, in particular - doing an admirable job.
In reply to the relatively small target, Pakistan eased home in just over 41 overs, with Hafeez, in the form of his life, smashing another century, this time an unbeaten 113. Ahmed Shehzad and Sohaib Maqsood also played their parts with 44 and 46 not out respectively and Pakistan's batting has not looked this solid for a really long time.
Sri Lanka will hope for some sort of momentum going into the five-day series, and will no doubt want to restore pride by pulling one match back and finishing the series on a respectable 3-2 rather than a 4-1 thrashing.
Team news: Pakistan: All-rounder Shahid Afridi has flown back home to be with his ailing daughter and will take no further part in the series. Haris Sohail might come in for Afridi, while fast bowler Anwar Ali is also likely to be given a run-out in the 5th ODI.
Sri Lanka: Ashan Priyanjan impressed with the bat for Sri Lanka in the fourth one-day international and will almost certainly be retained for the final match. Seekkuge Prasanna is likely to come back into the fold and it remains to be seen who will stand down in his stead.
Expected lineups: Pakistan: Ahmed Shehzad, Sharjeel Khan, Mohammad Hafeez, Sohaib Maqsood, Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Umar Akmal (wk), Haris Sohail, Anwar Ali, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal, Junaid Khan.
Sri Lanka: Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kusal Perera, Kumar Sangakkara (wk), Ashan Priyanjan, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews (capt), Kithuruwan Vithanage, Seekkuge Prasanna, Nuwan Kulasekara, Sachithra Senanayake, Lasith Malinga.
