Jayasuriya, Mendis bowl Sri Lanka to improbable win

For all the fears that their delayed declaration on day four may not have left them enough time to bowl out Pakistan on the final day of the second Test, Sri Lanka needed just half a day to complete a series-leveling 246-run win, with Prabath Jayasuriya and Ramesh Mendis sharing the spoils.   

Sri Lanka’s route to victory might have been even shorter if not for a partnership of 76 between Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan which had Pakistan comfortably placed for much of the morning session.   

Jayasuriya broke that stand 26 minutes from lunch, and a little over an hour after the break Pakistan’s innings completely unraveled, bowled out for 231.   

Left-arm spinner Jayasuriya, whose sensational start to Test cricket tied him with Australia’s Charlie Turner for the most wickets (23) after playing three Tests, claimed his fourth five-wicket haul with figures of 5 for 117.   

While Jayasuriya was the star, Mendis played an equal support, making the first breakthrough of the day on his first ball of the day, dismissing Pakistan opener Imam-ul-Haq for 49.   

From there, Pakistan appeared impregnable giving Sri Lanka few chances and scoring more boundaries, with Rizwan proactive in his approach sweeping and skipping down the wicket to accumulate six fours.   

Rizwan’s wicket brought Sri Lanka’s attack to life, chances being created, the ball evading the close in fielders, and hits on the pad drawing louder appeals.   

With pressure starting to build, Fawad Alam, who had one run in eight balls, called Azam for a single and while his teammate had initially agreed he turned Alam back but not in time to avoid a run out. Azam lost another partner at the stroke of lunch, when Kusal Mendis held onto a catch at short leg, cleverly following Agha Salman’s attempted sweep off Jayasuriya. Sri Lanka’s march gained further ground with the wicket of Azam after lunch, Pakistan’s captain facing 146 balls for 81, before he was trapped LBW to Jayasuriya.   

Mohammad Nawaz holed out to Mendis for 12, with Yasir Shah, Hasan Ali and Naseem Shah counter-attacked with boundaries, but Sri Lanka’s efforts were never in danger, Mendis claiming the last wicket to finish with 4 for 101. By Shehan Daniel at the Galle International Stadium