Despite defiant knock by Sarfraz Ahmed :
Lankan pace duo Prasad, Pradeep rattle Pakistan
by Ranjan Anandappa reporting from Pallekele
Pakistani wicket-keeper Sarfraz Ahmed (72 n.o) and tail-ender
YashirShah brought Pakistan partially back into the game with a-45-run-
stand for the eighth wicket as Pakistan in reply to Sri Lanka’s first
innings total of 278 ended the second day at 209 for 9 trailing by 69
runs when bad light stopped play at Pallekele yesterday.
There were three stoppages due to rain but all three were not enough
for a complete halt of the game.
Sarfraz Ahmed , Pix: Rukmal Gamage |
Leader of the pack, Dammika Prasad (3 for 78) and the late
replacement for injured Dushmantha Chameera, Nuwan Pradeep (3 for 26 off
14overs) cut the hard crust of the Pakistan batting by sharing six
wickets between them while off spinner Tharindu Kaushal gave a vigorous
twist to the Pakistan tail taking 2 for 34.
Pakistan were at one stage six for 151 when skipper Mishbah-ul-Haq
batted in discomfort due to injury.
But Sarfraz Ahmed and Azhar Ali brought Pakistan into reasonable
limits, on a day which belonged to the Sri Lankan pacemen, especially
Dammika Prasad (3 for 75) and Nuwan Pradeep.
Sri Lanka continuing from their overnight score of 272 for 8, batted
only for 20 minutes in the morning adding just six runs. wRahat Ali and
Imran Khan bowled from either side.
Rahat Ali struck first in the morning with the second new ball not so
old having Tharindu Kaushal leg before wicket after adding one run to
his overnight score.
BothTharindu Kaushal and Suranga Lakmal showed signs of good
batsmenship. But after just 3.5 overs in the morning Yasir Shah clipped
the wings taking his 22nd wicket in the series when he had Nuwan Pradeep
leg before wicket.
Yasir Shah created some sort of a record becoming only the second
visiting bowler after Shane Warne to take three five-wicket-hauls in a
Test series on the Sri Lanka soil and the Pakistani bowler to take the
highest number of wickets (22) in a Sri Lanka-Pakistan Test series in
Sri Lanka surpassing Saeed Ajmal’s 17 scalps.
Yasir Shah took 5 for 77 and was ably supported by Rahat Ali ( 3 for
77) in Sri Lanka’s first innings total of 278.
With the absence of regular opener Mohammed Hafeez, Pakistan opened
with Shan Masood, who shone during the recent Pakistan ‘A’ tour of Sri
Lanka and Ahmed Shehzad.
Left- hander Shan Masood looked a strong front foot player, he twice
drove Dammika Prasad on either side of the wicket with finetiming, but
looked vulnerable while facing the short pitched delivery.
Prasad’s first few overs were wayward, but after settling down he
bowled on a fuller length and trapped Shan Masood lbw for 13.
SCORE BOARD
(overnight 272-8):
D. Karunaratne st Sarfraz b Azhar 130
K. Silva c Sarfraz b Rahat 09
U. Tharanga c Younis b Yasir 46
L. Thirimanne c sub (Azam) b Yasir 11
A. Mathews c sub (Azam) b Yasir 03
J. Mubarak st Sarfraz b Yasir 25
D. Chandimal lbw b Rahat 24
D. Prasad c Yasir b Azhar 00
T. Kaushal lbw b Rahat 18
S. Lakmal not out 06
N. Pradeep lbw b Yasir 00
Extras: (lb3, w3) 06
Total (all out, 89.5 overs) 278
Fall of wickets: 1-15 (Silva), 2-106 (Tharanga)
3-133 (Thirimanne), 4-137 (Mathews)
5-204 (Mubarak), 6-248 (Karunaratne)
7-248 (Prasad), 8-264 (Chandimal)
9-277 (Kaushal), 10-278 (Pradeep)
Bowling: Rahat 21-4-74-3 (w1)
Ehsan 14-3-37-0 (w1)
Imran 16-3-51-0 (w1)
Yasir 31.5-4-78-5
Azhar 7-0-35-2
Pakistan 1st innings:
Shan Masood lbw b Prasad 13
Ahmed Shehzad c Chandimal b Pradeep 21
Azhar Ali c Karunaratne b Pradee 52
Younis Khan run out 03
Asad Shafiq lbw b Prasad 15
Sarfraz Ahmed not out 72
Misbah-ul Haq lbw b Pradeep 06
Ehsan Adil lbw b Kaushal 00
Yasir Shah c Chandimal b Prasad 18
Rahat Ali lbw b Kaushal 02
Imran Khan not out 00
Extras: (lb4, w1, nb2) 07
Total (for nine wickets, 64 overs) 209
Fall of wickets: 1-32 (Masood), 2-40 (Shehzad)
3-45 (Younis), 4-91 (Shafiq)
5-135 (Azhar), 6-151 (Misbah)
7-152 (Ehsan), 8-197 (Yasir)
9-202 (Rahat)
Bowling: Prasad 19-1-78-3 (w1)
Lakmal 14-1-64-0 (nb2)
Pradeep 14-5-26-3
Mathews 4-1-3-0
Kaushal 13-1-34-2 |