Opener Dimuth Karunaratne smashed a half-century to help Sri Lanka complete a comprehensive seven-wicket win over Pakistan in the second cricket test Monday to level the three-match series 1-1.
Needing 153 to win with rain looming on the final day, the Sri Lankan batsmen reached the victory target in 26.3 overs before lunch at the P.Sara Oval.
Karunaratne was out for 50, trapped lbw by legspinner Yasir Shah after adding 72 runs for the third wicket with captain Angelo Mathews, who remained unbeaten on 43.
Karunaratne faced 57 deliveries and hit four boundaries.
Kithruwan Vithanage was promoted up the batting order to hasten the chase and made a brisk 34 off 23 before being caught in the deep by Mohammad Hafeez off left-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar.
Kumar Sangakkara, playing his final innings against Pakistan, was out for a first-ball duck, caught at forward short-leg off Shah.
Shah returned figures of 2-55 and claimed eight wickets in the match.
Seam bowler Dhammika Prasad on Sunday took four wickets for Sri Lanka to help dismiss Pakistan for 329 in its second innings, despite a fighting 117 from Azhar Ali.
Prasad was named player of the match for his eight wickets in the match.
Ali and opener Ahmed Shehzad brought Pakistan back into the match in the second innings after conceding a 177-run first-innings lead. Pakistan was dismissed for a paltry 138 in the first innings and Sri Lanka replied with 315.
Ali and Shehzad (69) added 120 for the second wicket, but the rest of the batting faltered against the Sri Lankan seamers.
Pakistan won the first test in Galle by 10 wickets.
The third and series-deciding match of the series will start Friday in Pallekele near the hill city of Kandy.
Scoreboard
Dimuth Karunaratne lbw b Shah 50
Kithruwan Vithanage c Hafeez b Babar 34
Kumar Sangakkara c Ali b Shah 0
Angelo Mathews not out 43
Lahiru Thirimanne not out 20
Extras (6lb) 6
TOTAL (For three wickets) 153
Overs 26.3.
Fall of wickets 1-49, 2-49, 3-121.
Did not bat Kaushal Silva, Dinesh Chandimal, Dhammika Prasad, Rangana Herath, Tharindu Kaushal, Dushmantha Chameera.
Bowling Junaid Khan 4-0-30-0, Mohammad Hafeez 4-0-20-0, Zulfiqar Babar 8-0-42-1, Yasir Shah 10.3-0-55-2.
Umpires Richard Illingworth, England, and Sundaram Ravi, India.
Match Referee Chris Broad, England. Third Umpire- Paul Reiffel, Australia.
Toss won by Pakistan.
Result Sri Lanka won by 7 wickets
Series Three-match series level at 1-1.
