Sri Lanka eventually tasted a victory in the Australia tour by handing a comprehensive eight-wicket loss to the hosts in the second one-day international at Adelaide Oval on Sunday.
The Islanders, who suffered the humiliation of 3-0 before losing the first ODI at Melbourne by 107 runs, skittled out hosts for 170 and overhauled the target with 59 balls to spare
Lahiru Thirimanne (102) hit his maiden ODI ton and shared a 137-run second-wicket stand with Tillakaratne Dilshan (51) to lay the foundations of a comfortable chase.
In purist of diminutive target, the tourists lost opener Upul Tharanga for duck but Thirimanne and Dilshan looked look back from there and steadied the innings with a blend of sagaciousness and aggression.
The comprehensive partnership between the two ended with the dismissal of Dilshan, who hit four boundaries before felling pray off Ben Cutting,
Dauntless Thirimanne then combined with wicketkeeper batsman Kushal Perera (14 not out) for a whirlwind 36-stand to take the hosts past target.
Thirimanne’s hundred came with a boundary he slashed to spinner Xavier Doherty backward of point for the winning runs.
Earlier, a disciplined Sri Lankan bowling attack bombarded over second-rated Australian batting-line to shot them out for 170 inside 47 overs.
Barring Glenn Maxwell (50), Cutting (27) and skipper George Bailey (26), the rest of others came a cropper.
Pace spearhead Lasith Malinga was the pick of Sri Lankan bowling with the figures of 3-32 while Angelo Mathews and Thissara Perera bagged two wickets apiece.
The third ODI of five-match series will be played at Brisbane on January 18. The ODI series will be followed by two T20s.
