Sri Lanka vs Pakistan 2nd Test: Pakistan outclassed Sri Lanka by winning with an innings and 222 runs, clinch series 2-0

Pakistan on Thursday defeated Sri Lanka by an innings and 222 runs in the second Test at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo to sweep the two-match series. Abdullah Shafique’s marathon double ton, coupled with Agha Salman’s quickfire 132 not out saw Pakistan post a total of 576/5d. Having been bowled out for 166 in the first innings, Sri Lanka failed to build up from a strong start and were bowled out for 188 in the second innings. Noman Ali was the pick of the bowlers with seven wickets to his name.

It was the worst defeat Sri Lanka suffered at home. The last time Sri Lanka recorded a defeat this devastating was 30 years ago (September 1993) when, ironically at this same venue, South Africa beat them by an innings and 208 runs.

With a 410-run deficit to wipe out to make the visitors bat again, Sri Lanka’s innings was unraveled by Noman Ali, who claimed a career-best 7 for 70 in the afternoon session, before the swing, pace and sheer determination of Naseem Shah ripped apart and shredded Sri Lanka’s tail-enders.

The hosts had made a confident start with a 69-run partnership between openers Dimuth Karunaratne and Nishan Maduska, before left-arm spinner Ali struck with his first ball, creating enough deviation to beat Maduska’s defence and bowl him for 33.

Karunaratne and Kusal Mendis played out the rest of the session, though without adding much more runs, as Sri Lanka reached lunch at 81 for 1.

It didn’t take long after the break for Ali to trigger a collapse, the home team losing five wickets for 55 runs in the afternoon session, all falling to Noman Ali as they were put under pressure by a collective Pakistani bowling effort – the solitary fight back coming from veteran Angelo Mathews who remained unbeaten on 63.

Unexpectedly, Pakistan captain Babar Azam chose not to declare his innings overnight, despite concerns that rain could intervene over the final two days of the match, but it turned out that it took him just two overs into play today to make that call.

The first of those two overs was played out run-less by Agha Salman, before Mohammad Rizwan took three boundaries off Prabath Jayasuriya in the next over to reach his half-century. That appeared to be what Azam wanted to see before pulling the trigger to declare his team’s first innings on 576, for a lead of 410.