Kumar, Tilan defy Asif

Sa'adi Thawfeeq reporting from Kandy

CRICKET: There is no doubt that Kumar Sangakkara is master class. Since he made his Test debut six years ago in the Southern port of Galle against South Africa the script was all written for him to become one of the leading batsmen in world cricket.

Yesterday at the Asgiriya International Cricket Stadium, venue of the second cricket Test, he was batting so beautifully that even the best balls bowled by Pakistan's main strike bowler Mohammed Asif failed to unsettle him even if it proved the undoing of five of his teammates.

Sangakkara was on song to score his second successive century not only in the series but also at Asgiriya, having scored a memorable 157 (not out) against West Indies at this venue last year (his first century on his home venue at this level) and a monumental 185 at the SSC.

But as providence would have it, his glorious knock of 79 off 98 balls (15 fours) was brought to an inglorious end when umpire Steve Davis ruled him out for a bat-pad catch. That dismissal ended the only notable partnership of the Sri Lankan first innings of 81 off 137 balls between Sangakkara and Tilan Samaraweera in an otherwise disappointing performance by the top order.

However Sri Lanka can be satisfied to end the day on 267 for eight wickets after being put into bat first because the pitch still has life on it when they come on to bowl sometime today.

Samaraweera joined Sangakkara with a lengthy half-century (65) that took as much as four hours and comprised nine fours. But considering the plight his team was in the time Samaraweera consumed at the crease became irrelevant.

Asif bowling a lengthy first spell of 12 overs rattled the Lankan batting once again with seam and cut extracting the maximum of what the Asgiriya pitch had to offer.

The focus obviously was on veteran opener Sanath Jayasuriya who was making his final Test appearance for his country. To mark the occasion a ten-kilogram cake was cut in front of the Sri Lanka dressing room before the start of play amidst a distinguished gathering of players' officials and the governor of Central Province Tikiri Kobbekaduwa.

But once the Test got started it soon became evident that the decision taken by Jayasuriya was a wise one. In the 47 minutes he was at the crease Jayasuriya was a shadow of his former self. The great man played and missed several deliveries, which he should have clobbered over point or cover in his prime. He survived a confident lbw shout at two, was dropped at third slip at seven before Asif got through his defence to bowl him for 14. The only bright spark of his innings was a top edged pull to fine leg for six.

Asif also got rid of Upul Tharanga (10) and Mahela Jayawardene (4) both edging catches to slip before coming off from his opening spell shortly before lunch.

The umpiring left much to be desired. Farveez Maharoof was unlucky to be dismissed caught bat and pad while at the other end of the stick Malinga Bandara was lucky to be given the benefit of a run out decision by the TV umpire when on 10. TV replays showed him clearly out.

Bandara rode his luck being dropped by Farhat in the slips before he had scored to contribute a valuable 43 off 61 balls (6 fours) before becoming Asif's fifth victim of the innings.

It was the first time in his five-Test career the 23-year-old quickie from Sheikhupura had taken a five-for in an innings. He has proved to be a thorn in the Lankan side having captured six wickets in the drawn SSC Test.

Sri Lanka made one change replacing Dilhara Fernando with Nuwan Kulasekera. Pakistan were forced to rest their first Test centurion Shoaib Malik (sore throat) and leave out Shahid Afridi for the return of batsman Mohammed Yousuf and fast bowler Ifthikar Rao.

SRI LANKA 1ST INNINGS 

W.U. Tharanga c Younis b Asif 			 10 
S.T. Jayasuriya b Asif				 14 
K.C. Sangakkara c Iqbal b Kaneria		 79 
D.P.M.D. Jayawardene c Farhat b Asif  		  4 
T.T. Samaraweera b Asif  			 65 
T.M. Dilshan c Akmal b Kaneria  		 22 
M.F. Maharoof c Younis b Kaneria		  7 
C.M. Bandara c Akmal b Asif 			 43 
K.M.D.N. Kulasekera not out 			 11 
S.L. Malinga not out 				  0 
Extras (lb-4, nb-2, w-1, pen: 5)		 12
TOTAL (8 wkts at close, 88 overs,)		267

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-18 (Tharanga), 2-27 (Jayasuriya),
3-61 (Jayawardene),  4-142 (Sangakkara), 5-178 (Dilshan), 
6-193 (Maharoof), 7-238 (Samaraweera),  8-256 (Bandara). 
TO BAT: M. Muralitharan. 
BOWLING: Asif 21-7-41-5, Gul 23-3-83-0 (1w, 1nb), 
Ifthikar 11-1-54-0  (1nb), Kaneria 22-6-44-3, Razzaq 11-1-36-0. 

PAKISTAN: Imran Farhat, Kamran Akmal, Younis Khan, Mohammed Yousuf,
Faisal Iqbal, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Abdul Razzaq, Umar Gul, 
Mohammed Asif, Danish  Kaneria, Rao Ifthikar.