Dubai (UAE), Feb 23 : Sunil Ramesh smashed 87 in 61 balls before a combined team effort helped the Indian men's cricket team for the blind defeat Pakistan by 46 runs in the second T20 of the ongoing Friendship Cricket Series for the Blind here on Friday.

India scored 224/3 in 20 overs following a cameo by Ajay Kumar Reddy (42) and the Men in Blue restricted Pakistan to 178/6 to win the match. With this win in the second T20, India have now levelled the Friendship Cricket Series 1-1.

India started well as Sunil Ramesh and D. Venkateswara Rao stitched a 121-run partnership for the first wicket. Venkateswara Rao (56 in 41 balls) was out in the 13th over but Sunil Ramesh and Ajay Kumar Reddy again built a partnership to take the side over the 200-run mark.

In the last over, India scored 15 runs as the side posted 224/3 in the allotted 20 overs. Pakistan gave 39 runs as extras.

Chasing 225, Pakistan lost an early wicket in the third over. The side continued scoring runs at a brisk rate and reached the 60-run mark in the 7th over. Having lost two wickets, skipper Badar Munir revived Pakistan's innings in the middle overs.

However, India took a couple of wickets and dented Pakistan's hopes of chasing the target. In the end, Pakistan were only able to score 178/6 in the 20 overs as India levelled the series on Friday.

Hussain Muhammad, Consul General of Pakistan in Dubai joined the post-match presentation and congratulated the players. He met all the players and wished the best to both teams for the finals. Sunil Ramesh was adjudged the player of the match for his 87 in 61 balls.

India and Pakistan will now meet on Sunday in the third and final T20 of the Friendship Cricket Series for the Blind at the ICC Cricket Academy in Dubai.

/IANS