Sri Lanka chasing 377 for victory ended on 193 for 2 after both captains decided a result was not possible an hour before the end of today's final day of play.
Dimuth Karunaratne scored 75 and Oshada Fernando an unbeaten 66 against disciplined bowling from the home side that restricted the visitors to 164 runs for the loss of two wickets from the 70 overs bowled today.
However, Brathwaite was awarded the Man-of-the-Match award for his knocks of 126 and 85 that helped bat the visitors out of contention.
"Pleasing winning the award - as captain want to lead from the front,” Brathwaite said afterwards.
“(The) main thing for me was to keep it simple. Bat most balls. Made sure I had a solid plan. I could change my batting style at times, but I am confident I can score at whatever rate I choose to.”
He praised his teammates for the resilience especially in light of the nature of the pitch that was kinder to the batsmen.
“Both pitches were good pitches. But happy guys didn't give up, up to the last spell. Batting 90-plus overs is great. Happy with the attitude and discipline. Happy with the attitude of the bowlers."
Resuming from their overnight total of 29-0 from the nine overs they faced on Thursday evening, Lahiru Thirimanne and Karunaratne took the score to 101 when Thirimane edged Alzarri Joseph to Rahkeem Cornwall at slip. He made 39.
As evidence of how tight the West Indies bowling was Sri Lanka scored 45 runs in the following 17 overs before Kyle Mayers trapped Karunaratne lbw for 75.
However, that was the last wicket to fall on the day as Fernando and Dinesh Chandimal took the score to 193 before play was called off.
Joseph finished with figures of 1-33 while Mayers had 1-5 from the six overs he bowled.
Suranga Lakmal was named player of the series for his 11 wickets.
Happy. I really want to win games, and bowl accordingly - that's what I like to do,” he said. (The) wicket was helping a bit, but I know how to bowl on such wickets. Bowl in right areas and challenging the bowlers is my style."
The two-Test series ended 0-0 as the first Test also ended in a draw.
Cornwall was unbeaten on 60, his first half-century in Test cricket as the West Indies closed the day on 268 for 8 in reply to Sri Lanka’s 169. Kemar Roach is on four, the two have added seven runs for the ninth wicket so far and will be hoping to add a few more come tomorrow.
Cornwall and da Silva came together after Suranga Lakmal had bowled Jason Holder for 19 for his fifth wicket of the match and have the West Indies at 171 for 7, just two runs ahead of Sri Lanka’s first innings total.
However, by the time da Silva got out caught behind for 46 trying to uppercut Dushmantha Chameera, they had stretched the lead to a healthy 91. Cornwall’s innings was a mix of stern defence and big-hitting for his highest Test score that included nine fours and two sixes and seemed at ease against both pace and spin.
Da Silva, who playing in just his fourth Test, featured in yet another lower-order recovery for the West Indies, was more sedate soaking up deliveries while wearing down the Sri Lankan bowlers. His 46 took 124 deliveries from which he hit five fours.
It was a welcome partnership for the West Indies, who were restricted by some disciplined bowling from the Sri Lankans.
A number of their batsmen got starts but each failed to carry on, pried out by penetrative bowling from Lakmal, who exhibited accurate pace and swing while claiming the wickets of Brathwaite for 3, Mayers for 45, Jermaine Blackwood for 2, Alzarri Joseph for a duck and Jason Holder to return figures of 5-45.
Chameera also claimed the wicket of John Campbell for 42 to end with 2-71.
Zimbabwe resumed on 30 without loss on the last day of a slow-moving match, trailing by 127 after Sri Lanka racked up 515-5 declared.
The outstanding Lakmal (4-27) set the nerves jangling by taking three early wickets before Zimbabwe collapsed from 120-3 to 170 all out.
That left Sri Lanka requiring only 14 to win in the final hour and they needed just three overs to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series, captain Dimuth Karunaratne hitting the winning run.
The tourists had failed to make inroads in 17 overs after Karunaratne declared in the final session on day four, but Lakmal came steaming in to give them just the start they had hoped for on Thursday.
The paceman had Prince Masvaure (17) caught behind off the eighth ball of the day and removed Brian Mudzinganyama (16) in his next over before Craig Ervine (7) became his third victim, caught by Karunaratne at short leg.
Brendan Taylor (38) and captain Sean Williams put on 79 for the fourth wicket, seeing off 22 overs before the former became a pumped up Lakmal's fourth victim.
Zimbabwe were reeling on 152-6 at tea with Williams (39) and Sikandar Raza (17) gone and they folded in the final session, Lahiru Kumara coming to the fore by taking 3-32.
Karunaratne made 10 not out and Oshada Fernando was unbeaten on four when his skipper got Sri Lanka over the line.
