The Sri Lanka team walk off the field happily after beating Pakistan in the second cricket Test at Galle yesterday 

• Wins second Test by 246 runs to share series one-all

A dramatic last half an hour before lunch on the fifth and final day of the second cricket Test saw Sri Lanka turn the match on its head and beat Pakistan by 246 runs to share the two-Test series one-all at the Galle International Cricket Stadium yesterday.

The match was simply heading towards a dreary draw with Pakistan captain Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan batting without any difficulty in a partnership that had raised 79 between them after Sri Lanka had struck in the third over of the day when Ramesh Mendis off his first ball had Imam-ul-Haq caught behind by Niroshan Dickwella for 49.

When Rizwan misjudged a delivery from Prabath Jayasuriya and lost his wicket for 37, things turned dramatically in the Test, for in the next 24 minutes before lunch Pakistan lost Fawad Alam run out for one in a misunderstanding with his captain and Agha Salman’s sweep shot off Jayasuriya brilliantly anticipated and held by Kusal Mendis at forward short leg. 

The fall of three quick wickets within the space of 35 balls brought Sri Lanka right back into the game for after lunch, they simply wrapped up the match within one hour capturing the remaining five wickets for 73 runs as Pakistan were bowled out for 261. Their target was an improbable 508. 

The key wicket for Sri Lanka was that of Babar who stood between them and victory. Babar had already survived two lbw decisions against him off Jayasuriya at 34 and 73 and escaped a dropped catch at 78 by acting captain Dhananjaya de Silva at slip also off Jayasuriya. However, Babar was not third time lucky with the lbw decision when Jayasuriya finally trapped him at 81 scored off 146 balls (6 fours, 1 six). 

The fall of Babar’s wicket at 205 weakened the Pakistan resistance and in next to no time Jayasuriya and Ramesh Mendis ran through their batting with Mendis helping himself to four more wickets to end the match with nine and Jayasuriya with another five-wicket haul – his fourth in six innings, giving him a sensational start to his Test career with 29 wickets in his first three Tests. With 17 wickets in the series Jayasuriya was named Player of the Series.

“The wicket was very helpful for the batsmen in this game. Our planning with the ball was to create the dot ball pressure. We knew the wicket will turn at some point so the important thing was to keep pressure. I thought about 30 minutes to go for lunch onwards we took the game into our hands. We bowled really well. Ramesh was quite a handful too,” said Jayasuriya. “We thought 500 more than 450 is scoreboard pressure for them. The wicket was not spinning as much as we thought. We got into trouble after setting them 342 in first Test. 500 means they never try to chase, only defend. You can’t chase that many here. So, chances of taking wickets was more as batsmen were adapting a negative tactics.”

What a memorable 100th Test it was for former captain Angelo Mathews. Sri Lanka not only won in his 100th Test, but also defeated Pakistan on his debut Test by 50 runs in 2009 at the same venue. Dickwella was quick to react for soon as the last Pakistan wicket fell, he plucked one stump out of the ground and ran to Mathews and presented it to him in a fine gesture of camaraderie.

Strangely, the weather and bad light which had been a factor in the previous two days improved dramatically, but Sri Lanka knowing the final session was going to be dicey wrapped the match off in style soon after lunch. 

Pakistan captain Babar Azam said they came for the final day full of confidence that they were capable of chasing down the target of 508. 

“When you have chased well in the recent past it gives you confidence. We came with that confidence in this game and there was belief that we will do it but one has to show patience as a batting unit as the opposition comes out with lot of planning,” said Babar.

“There was pressure when wickets fell in a bunch and credit goes to Jayasuriya the way he bowled. It was an outstanding effort. He bowled with patience and that’s what you need in Test matches. He is an experienced bowler. The way he bowls with a consistent line with lot of patience is the key. He keeps his area even after getting hit for a boundary and that’s the good thing. We didn’t show patience as a batting unit and that’s the reason our lower-order also succumbed.”

Captain Dimuth Karunaratne and Babar Azam share the trophy after the two-match series ended in a 1-all draw

Player of the Match Dhananjaya de Silva

Big movement in World Test Championship standings after SL beat Pakistan