Pakistan registered an exciting one-wicket victory against Afghanistan in the second and penultimate One Day International in Hambantota Thursday to seal the three-match series.

Chasing 301 for a series clinching win, Pakistan reached their destination with one ball to spare, riding on Imam-ul-Haq’s 105-ball 91.

Babar Azam and Shadab Khan chipped in with 53 and 48 respectively as Pakistan won the series with Saturday’s third and final ODI in Colombo still to come.

The Afghans posted a good performance after their 142-run humbling in Tuesday’s first ODI at the same venue where they were all out for a paltry 59, but it was not enough to stop Pakistan from bagging the series victory.

Fazalhaq Farooqi picked up three wickets for Afghanistan while Mohammad Nabi took two.

Swashbuckling opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz earlier hit a career-best 151 to lead Afghanistan to 300/5.

The 21-year old scored an aggressive run-a-ball century and shared an opening stand of 227 with Ibrahim Zadran, who scored a 101-ball 80, after Afghanistan won the toss and batted.

Gurbaz knocked 14 boundaries and three sixes against a world-class attack.

Gurbaz's previous best was 145 against Bangladesh in Chittagong last month.

Zadran also hit out brilliantly, knocking six boundaries and two sixes.

Spinner Usama Mir broke the opening stand in the 40th over when he had Zadran caught at long off, while lanky pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi dismissed Gurbaz caught behind in the 45th over.

Shaheen also had Rashid Khan out for two to finish with 2/58.

Nabi made a run-a-ball 29 before he was caught off Naseem Shah as Afghanistan piled up 73 runs in the last 10 overs.

Fast bowler Haris Rauf, who picked up a career-best 5/18 in the first match, went for 48 in seven overs without success.