Cricket: Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by 246 runs, level series 1-1

Story by  ATV | Posted by  Nakul Shivani • 1 Years ago
Prabhat Jayasuriya spun a web around the Pak batsmen
Prabhat Jayasuriya spun a web around the Pak batsmen

 

Galle

Babar Azam's 81 went in vain as Sri Lanka registered a resounding 246-run win over Pakistan on the final day of the second Test to draw level the two-match series 1-1 on Thursday.

The architect of Sri Lanka's crucial win was left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya, who has been making waves in Test cricket since his debut earlier this month. In just six Test innings, he has accumulated 29 wickets, including four five-wicket hauls and a 10-wicket match-haul.

The wily spinner picked up 3/80 in the first innings, which included the wickets of the dangerous Babar Azam (16) and Agha Salman (62), who top-scored in the first innings. Along with Ramesh Mendis' five wicket haul Sri Lanka were able to restrict Pakistan to just 231, securing a 147-run first-innings lead.

The hosts then put up a commanding batting performance led by centurion Dhananjaya de Silva (109) to set Pakistan a daunting target of 508.

The visitors had put on a confident 89/1 at the end of day four.

Resuming the final day's play with the threat of rain looming large, Pakistan had their task cut out to save the Test - given that victory was a distant possibility with 419 runs needed.

However, the duo of Prabath Jayasuriya and Ramesh Mendis made sure the visitors were never in the game.

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Jayasuriya took five for 117 and Mendis captured four wickets for 101 runs to bowl out the visitors for 231 and secure a series levelling win for the hosts.