Sri Lanka defeated Pakistan by 76 runs in the second one-day international in Pallekele on Saturday to level the five-match series 1-1. The hosts, who posted a challenging 280-4 after electing to bat, bowled Pakistan out for 204 despite an impressive 96 from opener Azhar Ali. Sri Lankan seamer Thisara Perera finished with a career-best 6-44.
Opener Tillakaratne Dilshan top-scored for Sri Lanka with an unbeaten 119 for his 13th one-day hundred, hitting one six and 11 fours in his 139-ball knock. The third one-dayer will be played in Colombo on Wednesday. Earlier, Tillakaratne Dilshan cracked an impressive century to help Sri Lanka post a challenging 280-4. The opener hit one six and 11 fours in his 139-ball 119 not out for his 13th one-day hundred to boost Sri Lanka’s hopes of levelling the five-match series in the day-night match in Pallekele.
Sri Lanka, who lost the opening one-dayer by six wickets on Thursday, batted steadily as Dilshan added 70 for the third wicket with Dinesh Chandimal (32) and 86 for the next with skipper Mahela Jayawardene (53). He reached his century in the 43rd over when he pulled paceman Umar Gul for a single and then smashed fast bowler Sohail Tanvir over mid-wicket for the first six of the match. Sri Lanka scored 56 runs in the last six overs, with Thisara Perera hitting two sixes and as many fours in his unbeaten 24 off just 14 balls. Jayawardene was bowled by off-spinner Saeed Ajmal soon after completing his half-century, hitting eight fours in his brisk 45-ball knock. Off-spinner Mohammad Hafeez, Tanvir and leg-spinner Shahid Afridi were the other wicket-takers for Pakistan.
