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Lankan bowlers struggle for wickets :
Final day could be interesting:
Pakistan survive – lead by 107 with three wickets remaining
Elmo Rodrigopulle reporting from UAE
The Pakistani batsmen Sarfraz Ahmed and Saeed Ajmal played through
gloom, drizzle and under lights to take their team to 330 for 7, a lead
of 107 when bad light stopped play with 15 overs remaining owing to
rain. Pakistan was 330 for 7. They made 165 in the first innings and Sri
Lanka replied with 388.
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Pakistan cricketers Younis Khan (L) and Misbah-ul-Haq come
out to bat on the fourth day of the Second Cricket Test
match against Sri Lanka at the Dubai International Cricket
Stadium in Dubai on January 11,2014. AFP . |
The fourth day was eventful for the Pakistanis who fought
relentlessly to lose only four wickets for 198 runs. The day belonged to
Younis 77, Misbah 97 and the gutty Ahmed who batted with an injured leg
to remain unbeaten on 70 with 7 fours.
The weather forecast for Sunday is not encouraging. When play stopped
on Saturday, it was gloomy and still drizzling. As the game stands now,
Sri Lanka must get the remaining three batsmen early.
To allow the Pakistanis more runs and if they were to give Sri Lanka
anything over 175 for victory, the Lankans will have to bat from out of
their skins to achieve victory on wicket that is now taking spin and
Saeed Ajmal licking his lips.
Misbah’s raises the bar
Misbah raised the bar batting skillfully and with immense
concentration and defending for dear life, his and his country’s
reputation, and three short of another100 in his brilliant career, it
required the dream ball to breach his defence. And that ball was
conjured by the wily left arm spinner Rangana Herath.
Herath flighted, pitched middle and off and it spun that bit to beat
Misbah’s forward defence and nip off stump.
Elated by that wicket, Captain Mathews hugged and lifted Herath off
the ground and all fielders converged to congratulate Herath for
producing what seemed the match winning and ball of the match.
When Misbah went the lead was only 22 and the Lankans were cock a
hoop. But they never bargained for a revival by Sarfraz Ahmed and
Bilawal Bhatti. This 7th wicket pair defied and batted with finesse.
They put on 67 in 129 balls and with the lead mounting, Eranga sent
down a reverse swinging yorker to Bhatti. He jammed his bat, but the
ball trickled on to his stumps. 312 for 7. He made 32 with 4 fours.
Batting collapse in the morning
To recap – After a batting collapse on Friday morning, the Sri Lankan
bowlers, Rangana Herath and Nuwan Pradeep rocked the Pakistan early
batting in the second innings and had them floundering at 19 for 3. It
was then that the 36 and the 39 year old veterans Younis Khan and
Captain Misbah ul Haq joined hands to stand firm and deprive the Sri
Lankans who were threatening to rubbish the batting and end the game on
the third day.
The two veterans who have been in this cauldron many times before in
their glittering careers, realized that if one of them was to go early,
it could cause irreparable damage and take them into the cruel and
dreaded world of defeat.
Stood up admirably
They stood up admirably and with great courage, determination and
unwavering concentration to go to the close of day three unbowed and
unconquered with Khan on 62 and Misbah on 52 and a stand of 113 and the
total 132 for 3, still trailing by 91 with 7 wickets in hand.
When play began on the fourth day it was a bit dark and overcast
which required that the lights known as the ‘ring of fire’ be switched
on, which was the ideal setting for seam and swing bowling. The Lankans
took the field with great expectations and Khan and Misbah determined to
keep the Pakistani cricketing fortress from falling.
With Nuwan Pradeep, Shamindra Eranga and Suranga Lakmal moving the
ball around, it needed careful negotiating by Khan and Misbah. The
batsmen were going along well and after adding another 16 runs to their
stand disaster struck.
A sudden rush of blood forced Khan to slash a wide ball from Lakmal
and the ever vigilant and the safe hands of wicket keeper Prasanna
Jayewardene gloved the catch to the joy and relief of Lakmal and the
fielders. 148 for 4 and the break through that was needed.
Khan’s invaluable innings
Khan stuck it out for 235 minutes, hitting 5 fours in 173 balls. It
was an invaluable innings, played under pressure and one of the
innings in his career that he will always remember.
Another right hander and no mean batter Asad Shafiq joined his
Captain and together they negotiated everything that the Lankan bowlers
threw at them to take lunch on 189 for 4 – still trailing by 34 runs.
Their stand was worth 41 runs with Misbah going steadily on 74 and
Shafiq on 19. The Pakistanis can be satisfied that they lost only Khan
in the first session for 57 runs.
After lunch the Lankans took the new ball immediately it was
available and had success coming their way. Eranga who was given the new
ball struck when he bowled a well directed out swinger to take Shafiq’s
bat and zoom to Dimuth Karunaratne at second slip.
Shafiq and Misbah were involved in a 52-run stand for the 5th wicket.
Shafiq made 23 with 3 fours in 75 balls. When the ball was wobbling
about in seaming conditions it was inexplicable when Mathews gave the
new ball to spinner Rangana Herath.
Sarfraz Ahmed no mug with the bat joined his skipper Misbah and
delayed the inevitable putting on a stand of 45, before Misbah who was
shaping up for another hundred was bowled by Herath on 97. 246 for 6 and
a lead of 22.
Misbah stuck it out in all for 425 minutes, hitting 8 fours and a
six, in an innings that had to be admired, cheered and acknowledged in
the manner and the excruciating circumstances in which it was made.
Dubai Cricket Ground, Saturday.
SCOREBOARD
Pakistan 1st innings 165
Sri Lanka 1st innings 388
Pakistan 2nd innings
Khurram Manzoor c Prasanna b Pradeep 06
Ahmed Shehzad c Prasanna b Herath 09
Mohammad Hafeez c Prasanna b Pradeep 01
Younis Khan c Prasanna b Lakmal 77
Misbah-ul-Haq b Herath 97
Asad Shafiq c Karunaratne b Eranga 23
Sarfraz Ahmed not out 70
Bilawal Bhatti b Eranga 32
Saeed Ajmal not out 07
Extras: (b1, lb7) 08
Total: (for seven wkts; 123.3 overs) 330
Fall of wicket: 1-11 (Shehzad), 2-12 (Hafeez), 3-19 (Manzoor)
4-148 (Younis), 5-200 (Shafiq), 6-245 (Misbah)
7-312 (Bhatti)
Bowling: Lakmal 22-3-62-1
Pradeep 19-3-50-2
Herath 43.3-8-124-2
Eranga 33-9-70-2
Mathews 5-1-9-0
Sangakkara 1-0-7-0 |
