( CNN ) -- India tied the three-Test series with Sri Lanka after V.V.S . Laxman overcame back problems to score an unbeaten century on the final day of the deciding match in Colombo to seal a five-wicket victory . Set 257 to win , the top-ranked tourists made it home comfortably following a fourth-wicket partnership of 109 between Laxman and veteran batsman Sachin Tendulkar , with Suresh Raina 's 41 off 45 balls completing a fine turnaround . Laxman followed up his first-innings 56 as he ended the match unbeaten on 103 from 149 balls , scoring his 16th Test ton despite needing the help of a runner . `` He proved today why he is called very , very special , '' Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni told reporters . `` He always comes up with innings that have a huge bearing on the game . `` It was very important for him to score runs as the team needed it most to level the series . I think it is a very special innings . Hopefully , he plays plenty more innings like this for us . '' Laxman , a veteran of 113 Tests , said he had struggled to keep momentum due to his back pain . `` I started my innings well , but during the partnership I had a lot of discomfort and the spasms did n't allow me to move freely . Once I was into my 30s it became very painful , '' he said . `` It was difficult . You do n't want to create confusion and also not break the rhythm . If you see , Sachin got out once I took the runner . But I was in such pain that I thought that the best decision in team 's interest was to have a runner instead of just giving away the wicket due to pain . '' Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara said the turning point was when his side were bowled out for 267 in their second innings the previous day . `` If we had just tried to bat till lunch , the ball would have got softer and we could have scored a lot more runs . But unfortunately , we played some poor strokes , '' he said . `` Otherwise we could have batted out the day and put the heavy roller on today and declared . '' Resuming on 53-3 in their second innings on Saturday , India soon lost nightwatchman Ishant Sharma for four as off-spinner Suraj Randiv claimed his fourth wicket . But Laxman joined Tendulkar , who made a patient 54 off 122 balls -- his 56th half-century in his record 169th Test appearance -- before also falling to Randiv at 171-5 . Tendulkar had been dropped by a close fielder when on 18 also off Randiv , who claimed his first five-wicket haul in just his second outing after coming in to replace retired world record-holder Muttiah Muralitharan . Raina , who scored 120 on debut in the previous drawn Test , hit the winning runs with a six off Chanaka Welegedara just before the scheduled tea break . Meanwhile , Pakistan reached 19-1 at stumps of the second day of the second Test against England , having bowled out the hosts for 251 in Birmingham . Pakistan , all out for a paltry 72 in their first innings , are still 160 runs away from making England bat again at Edgbaston . The hosts resumed on 112-2 on Saturday , but spinner Saeed Ajmal took his first five-wicket haul to restrict the deficit . However , Pakistan 's bowling options were hit when seamer Umar Gul was ruled out of the rest of the match with a torn hamstring . Kevin Pietersen returned to form with 80 , but had a lucky escape on 41 when he was given not out in bizarre circumstances . The South Africa-born batsman pulled away from the crease just before Mohammad Asif was about to deliver the ball , signaling he had been distracted by movement behind the bowler . But then he offered a shot after all and chipped a catch to Pakistan captain Salman Butt , who could not persuade umpire Marais Erasmus to change his decision of `` dead ball . '' James Anderson later took his fifth wicket of the match as Butt went without scoring .
V.V.S . Kevin Pietersen scores unbeaten 103 to guide India to a 109 -wicket victory . Laxman notches his 16th Test century after adding 61 with Sachin Tendulkar ( 54 ) England had reduced India to 61 -4 in pursuit of 257 to win on final day of third Test . Pakistan restrict England to 251 in first innings , then 16th Test century on 19 -1 .