Pakistan beat Srilanka in historic Karachi ODI, take series lead 1-0 !!!

Pakistan marked the return of ODI cricket in Karachi after 10 years with a 67-run victory over Srilanka in the second ODI on Monday.

Babar  formed the backbone of Pakistan's strong total of 305-7 as he smashed 115 off 105 balls. Babar Azam also became the fastest Pakistani batsman to score 1,000 ODI runs in a calendar year in 19 matches.

In the absence of some key players who pulled out of the tour due to security concerns, Srilanka were bowled out for 238 in 46.5 overs.

Jayasuriya got out on 96 missed out on a maiden ODI hundred and Shanaka made a career-best 68 before both fell in successive overs after sharing a century partnership.

Left-arm pacer Shinwari rattled Srilanka's in-experienced top order and reduced the visitors to 28-5 before Jayasuriya and Shanaka shared a 177-run sixth-wicket stand.

Usman Shinwari returned and broke the partnership by having Jayasuriya caught behind and finished with 5-51. Shanaka was brilliantly snapped at midwicket by the diving Fakhar  off leg-spinner Shadab Khan (2-76) in the next over.

A power failure at the National Stadium intrupted play for 26 minutes during Srilanka's run-chase when one of the six floodlight towers malfunctioned twice.

It was not a packed house at the 32,000-capacity National Stadium, where Srilanka was the last team to play an ODI in 2009.


Pakistan, which won the toss and opted to bat, got off to a good start with Fakhar (54) and Imam-ul-Haq (31) adding 73 runs for the opening stand.

Leg-spinner Hasaranga (2-63) got two wickets by removing both openers before Babar took charge. He shared a 111-run stand with Haris  (40) before holing out at wide long on in the 46th over as Pakistan looked for quick runs in the final overs.