VIDEO: Pakistan rout Sri Lanka by 5 wickets to claim series

Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by five wickets in the third and final day-night international in Karachi on Wednesday, taking the three-match series 2-0.

Sri Lanka were lifted to 297-9 in their 50 overs opener Danushka Gunathilaka scoring a career best 133 before Pakistan reached their target in 48.2 overs.

Fakhar Zaman led the way with 76 while fellow opener Abid Ali scored 74 and Haris Sohail 56.

Pakistan won the second game by 67 runs while the first match was rained off without a ball being bowled, both in Karachi.

Earlier, recharged opener Danushka Gunathilaka scored a career best century to lift Sri Lanka to a challenging 297-9.

The 28-year-old left-hander knocked a 134-ball 133 with 16 boundaries and a six for his second hundred which lifted Sri Lanka after they won the toss.

Pakistan's cricketers pose for a photograph with their trophy after winning the third and final ODI cricket match in Karachi. AFP

Gunathilaka, suspended twice for breaches of disciplines in the last two years, held the innings together with stands of 88 with skipper Lahiru Thirimanne (36) for the second, 50 for the third with Angelo Perera (13) and 74 with debutant Minod Bhanuka (36) for the fourth in a brilliant display of batting.

He was finally dismissed in the 45th over, bowled by paceman Mohammad Amir who was the best Pakistani bowler with 3-50.

It was Amir who gave Pakistan an early breakthrough when he had Avishka Fernando caught behind for four by Sarfaraz Ahmed, leading Pakistan for the 50th time in an ODI.

Gunathilaka defied Pakistan’s bowling with guts and determination, improving his previous ODI best of 116 he made against Zimbabwe at Hambantota in 2017.

Thirimanne hit four boundaries off 54 balls while Bhanuka had two sixes in his 39-ball knock.

Allrounder Dasun Shanaka hit a quick 24-ball 43 with five boundaries and two sixes as Sri Lanka added 50 in the last five overs.

Pakistan, who leads the three-match series 1-0 on winning the second match by 67 runs, brought Abid and Mohammad Nawaz for Imam-ul-Haq and Imad Wasim.

For Sri Lanka, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Isuru Udana and Oshada Fernando made way for Bhanuka, Lakshan Sandakan and Perera.

The first match was rained off, also in Karachi, on Friday.

Safaraz achieved another feat on Wednesday as he became only the second wicket-keeper in the history of the game to captain his side in 50 ODI games.

Former India captain MS Dhoni tops the list as he led the Men in Blue in 200 ODIs where he won 110 matches, lost 74 and five matches ended in a tie.

Sarfaraz, on the other hand, has won 27 and lost 20 matches so far as Pakistan’s skipper.

Meanwhile, Pakistan on Wednesday recalled trouble-making opener Ahmed Shehzad and middle-order batsman Umar Akmal for the three-match Twenty20 series against Sri Lanka starting this weekend.

It will be the first time the 27-year-old Shehzad will represent Pakistan since a four-month ban for a failed dope test last year.

The ban was further extended by six weeks after Shehzad violated rules by playing club matches despite the ban.

Agencies