SL VS ZIM - 2nd T20I, Zimbabwe tour of Sri Lanka 2024

Angelo Mathews helped the hosts prevail in a last-over thriller in the first T20I. Today, Zimbabwe needed 20 runs off the veteran's bowling and they won it with a ball to spare. This has been an enthralling series and the scoreline (1-1) justifies it. Tune in on Thursday for the series decider. That promises to be another cracker of a game. Until then, it's goodbye from all of us down here....

Sikandar Raza: These are the group of boys that have made a promise to the country and to the fans. In the first one, we got really close, but today was just unbelievable. I don't think it slipped out of our hands. We knew that the wicket would get better. Even when we came back in the change room, I wasn't angry. I thought it was a par score on this wicket. The whole squad was quire calm. An entertaining match is good for fans and good for viewership. I wanted our team to be 80 after 10 with minimum damage. We got 80 in 11, so I knew we were a over behind. We knew there was one more over that had to be bowled from Dasun or Angelo or whoever. The boys knew that in the dug-out as well, we remained calm. We needed just one boundary against Chameera and Madushanka. But when you have backs against the wall, Zimbabwe has got a history of coming back fighting.

Wanindu Hasaranga: I think our top five batters should take more responsibility, Angelo and Charith played brilliantly with the bat. Top four batters should take more responsibility in the powerplay and we can't be conceding so many wickets in the powerplay. I trust Angelo and unfortunately it didn't come off with the ball tonight.

Luke Jongwe | Player of the Match: I don't think I have enough voice to describe what happened tonight, really happy for all my teammates. For the past 3 months I have been practicing these situations wanting to finish games for my country and grateful to God and glad that it came off today. The wicket was a bit on the trickier side and we thought of restricting them to 130 and credit to Mathews and Asalanka, they batted really well and got the score over 170. At the halfway stage, we thought we had a chance and gave it a shot and I'm glad that we could get off the line.

With 20 needed off the final over, Mathews was summoned to bowl but Sri Lanka could place only four fielders outside the 30-yard circle due to their slow over-rate. Mathews overstepped and bowled a couple of slot balls. Jongwe accepted those gifts by striking two sixes and a four. Mathews switched to round the wicket and bowled a dot ball. He also should have had Jongwe but Theekshana fluffed an easy catch. And, then Madande finished things off in style by hitting the winning runs...

22:29 Local Time, 16:59 GMT, 22:29 IST: Zimbabwe level the series! They are cock-a-hoop. After reducing Sri Lanka to 27/4, they ended up conceding 173 - courtesy the century stand between Asalanka and Mathews. It wasn't a straightforward chase for the visitors. They didn't get off to a brisk start either. Craig Ervine and Brian Bennett ensured that the base was set with a fifty partnership for the second wicket. The Zimbabweans upped the ante after ten overs. Theekshana was the pick of the bowlers as he picked up a couple of wickets. Hasaranga was expensive but he nipped out the well-set Ervine in his final over. When Burl fell to Chameera in the 18th over, Sri Lanka were firm favourites. 30 runs were needed off the final two overs and Madushanka gave away just 10 runs.

Mathews to Madande, SIX, Zimbabwe win. Mathews misses his yorker again. Madande is down on one leg to slog it over deep midwicket. Clean hit to wrap up the match

2 runs | 2 balls. Madande moves leg-side, exposes all his sticks in the process, Mathews runs in and doesn't bowl...

Mathews to Jongwe, 1 run, dropped! Slow and full outside off, Jongwe throws the kitchen sink at it and slices it a mile up in the air off the lower part of the bat. Theekshana comes in front cover point, settles under the skier and makes a mess of it

Mathews to Jongwe, no run, 127kph, short of length wide of off, Jongwe misses the cut. Close to the tramline, perhaps a fraction outside off and Mathews is lucky to get away with it

Zimbabwe are clear favourites now. 3 runs | 4 balls. Mathews switches to round the wicket

Mathews to Jongwe, SIX, 127kph, another slot ball from Mathews. Jongwe hoists it high and over long-on. The length a bit too full and Jongwe has picked the bones out of it. Sheer muscle...

9 runs | 5 balls.

Mathews to Jongwe, FOUR, 127kph, four off the free-hit! Fuller than a length, Jongwe stays in his crease and drills through extra cover. Races away to the fence

Free-hit coming up

Mathews to Jongwe, no ball, SIX, six to start the over! 114kph, off-speed ball right in the slot outside off, Jongwe bludgeons it over long-on. And guess what! Mathews has overstepped as well. Seven runs and the ball doesn't count

Madushanka to Jongwe, 1 run, 129kph, short of length, punched to extra cover

Madushanka to Jongwe, no run, slower delivery, cutter from Madushanka at 113kph, Jongwe swings and misses. Hit on the back leg. Pitched outside leg...

Madushanka to Madande, 1 run, pace off and shorter, Madande pulls and gets a thick inside edge which eludes the leg-stump and rolls to fine leg

Madushanka to Madande, SIX, 134kph, that made a cracking sound! Madande walks across, gets low by bending his back leg and clobbers this fullish delivery over deep midwicket for an 89m six. He was off-balance while making contact but got it right off the meat of the bat