Younis Khan hit a brilliant unbeaten 171 as Pakistan defeated Sri lanka by seven wickets in the third Test on Tuesday to win their first series on the island since 2006.
The tourists achieved the sixth highest successful chase in history when they surpassed the target of 377 runs in the post-lunch session of the fifth day’s play in Pallekele, finishing on 382-3.
Skipper Misbah-ul Haq made 59 not out, smashing the winning six off Jehan Mubarak to end his nation’s long winless streak in Sri lanka where they lost the last three series in 2009, 2012 and 2014.
It was the first time a visiting team had scored more than 300 runs in the fourth innings to win a Test on Sri lankan soil. Pakistan’s highest successful chase before this had been the 315-9 they scored against Australia to win the Karachi Test way back in 1994.
Pakistan added 25 runs to their overnight score when they lost the wicket of Shan Masood, who was stumped by Dinesh Chandimal.
Sri lanka claimed the second new ball as soon as it was due in the 80th over, but the seamers were unable to make an impression on the easy-paced wicket.
The 37-year-old Younis, who came to bat after the fall of the second wicket, stayed solid at one end during a seven-hour vigil in which he hit 18 boundaries. Younis’ five hundreds in the fourth innings — in a career tally of 30 — are the most by any batsman.
Brief Scores
Sl: 278 & 313 lose to Pak: 215 & 382/3 (Younis Khan 171*, Masood 125, Misbah-ul-Haq 59) by 7 wickets.