SL VS ZIM - 2nd ODI, Zimbabwe tour of Sri Lanka, 2017

Sri Lanka as expected have comeback with a strong reply. The visitors will have to rethink their strategies against spin and come with a better show next game. The action now shifts to Hambantota from Galle. Do join us for the next ODI on 6th july. Until then it's a goodbye from all of us here. Ta Ta!

Angelo Mathews: I would not call it a clinical performance as we dropped quite a few catches. But our bowlers bowled well today. Wherever you play there is pressure and it was a good effort from the boys. I don't want to talk about strategies right now as there are 3 more matches to go. Sandakan and Hasaranga bowled exceptionally well. Credit to the selectors for going with youngster. Honestly I haven't seen him bowl. So credit to them. Chasing a modest total wasn't going to be easy with early wickets. He has been moving up and down to accommodate people and I can't thank him (talking about Upul Tharanga) enough, he is an absolute team player.

Graeme Cremer: We thought may be the wicket was a little diffrent and 230 would have been a good score. They did bowl well and credit to them. That was one thing we spoke about (referring to soft dismissals), 150 was never enough on this wicket.

Lakshan Sandakan (Man of the Match for his best ODI figures): Captain gave me a lot of confidence. We planned to bowl slower than the other day and we executed it well. Wanidu Hasaranga had a dream debut today and he bowled well.

Sri Lanka have turned things around remarkably well to square the series 1-1. Crowd was right behind the home team and they have got their smiles back with this victory. Except for a few fielding blunders early on in the day, they haven't put a foot wrong today on the field. Spin twins Lakshan Sandakan and Wanidu Hasaranga picked seven wickets together to restrict the visitors to 155. The latter became the first Sri Lankan spinner to get a hat-trick and the third bowler to get it on debut in ODIs. They faced a couple of hiccups early on in the run-chase as Tendai Chatara got two-in-two in his second over. Back-to-back fifties for Upul Tharanga, who went with things slowly and ensured they reached the target comfortably alongside Angelo Mathews. He also got to his 34th ODI fifty.

Joy for the Sri Lankan fans. They needed a game like this to lift their mood after Friday's loss. Happy faces in the dressing room and the players shake hands with each other.

Cremer to Tharanga, FOUR, that's it! Sri Lanka level the 5-match series 1-1. Fittingly, Tharanga, who has anchored the chase, finishes the game off. Low full toss, Zimbabwe have bowled a number of them today, Tharanga flicks it to the left of mid-on, who had no chance

Malinga is seen congratulating everyone in the dressing room.

Ryan Burl to Tharanga, 1 run, easily driven down to long-off

Ryan Burl to Mathews, 1 run, low full toss outside off stump, Mathews drives it to long-on

Ryan Burl to Mathews, no run, Mathews wanted to flick towards mid-wicket, but this one rolls into the off-side after taking the leading edge

Ryan Burl to Tharanga, 1 run, very full and on the stumps, Tharanga drives it to long-on

Ryan Burl to Mathews, 1 run, another full toss, Mathews wants to hit it hard, but doesn't time it that well, sends it to long-on

Ryan Burl to Tharanga, 1 run, low full toss and another flick from Tharanga, long-on cuts it off and the 150 comes up for Sri Lanka

Cremer to Tharanga, 1 run, tossed up from Cremer, Tharanga drives it to long-on

Cremer to Tharanga, FOUR, four more. Spinning down the leg-side, Tharanga uses his wrists to great effect and he flicks behind square on the on-side

Cremer to Tharanga, FOUR, very full and on the stumps, Tharanga flicks it uppishly to the left of mid-wicket and Sri Lanka are just a couple of hits away

Cremer to Tharanga, no run, oh was that a top edge onto the grille? Tharanga wanted to sweep, the ball bounced and hit him on the grille off the glove

Cremer to Mathews, 1 run, very full and outside off stump, Mathews drills it down to long-off

Cremer to Mathews, no run, flighted delivery just outside off stump, Mathews defends off the back foot