2nd T20I: Sri Lanka stun Pakistan by 35 runs to seal series victory
Sri Lanka stunned Pakistan by 35 runs in the second T20 international here on Monday to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
After winning the first match by 64 runs, Sri Lanka, a team largely devoid of their regular players with most of them refusing to tour Pakistan, condemned the top-ranked T20 team in the world to a series defeat at home.
Batting first, the visitors were buoyed by Bhanuka Rajapaksha's 77 off 48 balls, and his 94-run stand with Shehan Jayasuriya (34 off 28 balls) as the island nation set Pakistan a target of 183.
As was the case in the first match, Pakistan's top order failed to fire with Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Ahmed Shehzad, Umar Akmal and skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed back in the hut within the first eight overs with just 52 runs on board.
Leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga wrecked havoc in the eighth over, first dismissing Shehzad with the third delivery before condemning Umar Akmal to a second straight golden duck off the very next ball. One ball later, Hasaranga dismissed captain Sarfaraz Ahmed to add to Pakistan's misery.
Asif Ali and Imad Wasim provided some resistance, adding 75 runs off 47 balls for the sixth wicket to give Pakistan some hope. However, Isuru Udana gave Sri Lanka the breakthrough by dismissing Wasim (47 off 29 balls) before Nuwan Pradeep (4/25) struck in quick succession to clean up the tail.
Brief scores: Sri Lanka: 182/6 in 20 overs (Bhanuka Rajapaksha 77, Shehan Jayasuriya 34; Imad Wasim 1/27) vs Pakistan: 147 all out in 19 over (Imad Wasim 47, Asif Ali 29; Nuwan Pradeep 4/25, Wanindu Hasaranga 3/38)
