Chamara Kapugedera marked his return to form with a well-paced half-century as Sri Lanka eased to a 2-0 series lead over Pakistan.
Hosts got the better of Pakistan with a six-wicket triumph in the second one-day international in Dambulla.
Kapugedera scored an unbeaten 67 and steadied nerves in an unbroken 95-run stand for the fifth wicket with Thilan Samaraweera, after the home side had stumbled to 74 for four while chasing a target of 169 for victory.
Sri Lanka eventually coasted home, Samaraweera remaining unbeaten on 38 as they overhauled the target with just over six overs to spare.
The match seemed headed for a closer finish when Pakistan, who had earlier put on another insipid batting display, hit back with the ball.
Click here for all the action as it unfolded
Sri Lanka opener Upul Tharanga fell cheaply again, and then two wickets - captain Kumar Sangakkara and Sanath Jayasuriya - in one Abdul Razzaq over gave the visitors a glimmer of hope.
Sangakkara was run out following a mix-up with Jayasuriya, the captain sent back when he was half way down the pitch.
The dismissal seemed to distract Jayasuriya, who soon threw his wicket away as he holed out in the deep.
Mahela Jayawardene and Kapugedera then steadied the ship until the former pulled a short ball from Shahid Afridi straight to Younus Khan at short midwicket.
That dismissal brought Kapugedera and Samaraweera together, one suffering from an acute lack of form and the other playing only his second one-dayer after a gap of four years.
They batted sensibly, though, and Kapugedera eventually reached his sixth one-day half-century with a square-driven boundary off Umar Gul and then completed the victory with consecutive blows off Mohammad Aamir.
Earlier, fast bowler Thilan Thushara had sparked another Pakistan collapse by taking three quick wickets.
After debutant opener Nasir Jamshed had gone first ball to Nuwan Kulasekara, left-armer Thushara claimed the wickets of Kamran Akmal, Shoaib Malik and Fawad Alam as Pakistan's batting crumbled again in conditions conducive to fast bowling.
Muttiah Muralitharan made further inroads by claiming the crucial wickets of Younus and Afridi - and although the tail eventually wagged, from 78 for six Pakistan were unable to set a testing target .
Younus and another debutant Umar Akmal, brother of Kamran, briefly revived the innings - but not significantly, the captain eventually out for an excruciatingly slow 23 from 73 deliveries when he chipped a catch to midwicket off Thushara.
Click here for Scorecard
No comments:
Post a Comment