Sri Lanka spinners beat Pakistan and rain to level Test series in Galle

Sri Lanka spinners made up for their shortcomings in the first Test as they crushed Pakistan by 246 runs in the second Test in Galle to level the series 1-1.

Chasing a mammoth 508 for victory, the tourists were bowled out for 261 in the second session on day five with spinner Prabath Jayasuriya grabbing another five-wicket haul.

Pakistan captain Babar Azam hit a valiant 81 but his team could not replicate the heroics of the first match when they chased down a record 342.

Left-arm spinner Jayasuriya, 30, claimed his fourth five-wicket haul in just his third Test since his debut against Australia earlier this month. Fellow spinner Ramesh Mendis took four scalps.

However, there were some concerns in the home camp with rain forecast on Thursday. Resuming play at 89-1, Pakistan lost opening batsman Imam-ul-Haq in the third over of the morning but a 79-run stand between captain Azam and Mohammad Rizwan raised hopes of a draw.

However, a moment of indiscretion saw Rizwan leaving a straight ball from Jayasuriya (5-117) and he was bowled for 37. A collapse from the visitors’ middle order soon followed as they went from 176-2 to 188-5 by lunch.

The architect of Sri Lanka's 246-run win - Prabath JayasuriyaIn just six Test innings, he has accumulated 29 wickets, including four five-wicket hauls and a 10-wicket match-haul. #SLvPAK pic.twitter.com/1hHl40xNCz

Azam was Sri Lanka’s biggest challenge, and Pakistan’s only remaining hope, but he was dismissed leg before wicket by a straight ball from Jayasuriya, ending their resistance. The last five Pakistan wickets then fell for 56 runs.

"When Babar was dismissed we knew that we could pull this off. Babar is their anchor," Jayasuriya, who has 29 wickets in three Tests, said.

"That was