Upul Tharanga and Mahela Jayawardene both hit half-centuries Monday to lead Sri Lanka to a total of 235-7 off 50 overs against Pakistan in the second one-day cricket international at Dubai International Stadium.
Left-hander Tharanga topscored with 77 off 120 balls while Jayawardene hit an even 50 off 56 deliveries.
Off-spinner Saeed Ajmal took 3-61 for Pakistan while leg-spinner Shahid Afridi claimed 2-35.
Sri Lanka, opting to bat after winning the toss, got a bright start from openers Tharanga and captain Tillakaratne Dilshan, who added 56 for the first wicket despite a testing new ball burst from Umar Gul and Aizaz Cheema (1-56).
Afridi made a crucial breakthrough when he bowled Dilshan, whose 28 included four fours.
Abdur Razzaq then claimed the prized wicket of Kumar Sangakkara, who chipped a return catch at 65-2.
Sri Lanka was further stalled when Dinesh Chandimal was bowled by Ajmal after scoring 15 off 37 balls. Tharanga and Jayawardene had a fourth-wicket partnership of 85.
The pair were slow to start before blossoming, particularly in the batting powerplay that produced 48 runs from five overs. Tharanga, dropped when on 15 at cover by Imran Farhat off Aizaz Cheema and also on 31 by wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed off Ajmal, eventually fell to Afridi. The opener, who hit eight fours, was caught at long-on with the touring side on 179-4. Jayawardene became the ninth batsman to reach 10,000 one-day runs.
{{/usCountry}}The pair were slow to start before blossoming, particularly in the batting powerplay that produced 48 runs from five overs. Tharanga, dropped when on 15 at cover by Imran Farhat off Aizaz Cheema and also on 31 by wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed off Ajmal, eventually fell to Afridi. The opener, who hit eight fours, was caught at long-on with the touring side on 179-4. Jayawardene became the ninth batsman to reach 10,000 one-day runs.
{{/usCountry}}Brief Score: Sri Lanka 235-7 (Tharanga 77, Jayawardene 50, Dilshan 28, Ajmal 3-61)