Sri Lanka fight for survival
Sri Lanka were fighting to save the first Test under a heavy 300-plus
deficit after Pakistani opener Taufiq Umar hit his maiden double hundred
on the third day here on Thursday.
Shot out for a low score of 197, Sri Lanka closed on 47-1 after Umar
hit a sedate 236 to lift Pakistan to 511-6 declared in their first
innings at Abu Dhabi stadium.
Sri Lanka, who conceded a 314-run lead, still need another 267 runs
to avoid an innings defeat with the pitch showing sings of turn which
Pakistan’s off-spinners Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Hafeez will likely
exploit.
Paceman Umar Gul struck with the first ball of the second innings,
trapping Tharanga Paranavitana before Lahiru Thirimanne (20) and Kumar
Sangakkara (27) survived some anxious moments to see off the day.
It was Umar’s typical Test match knock which held the Pakistani
innings together, adding invaluable runs with Azhar Ali (70), Younis
Khan (33), Misbah-ul Haq (46) and Asad Shafiq (26 not out).
Umar’s is the first double hundred by a Pakistani opener since Aamir
Sohail’s 205 against England at Old Trafford in 1992, highlighting the
lack of quality openers and their regular chopping in the country’s
team.
The 31-year-old left-hander hit 17 boundaries and a six during his
marathon 700-minute stay at the crease, showing immense concentration
and application, before he ran out of stamina and was run out.
He batted solidly, consumed 496 deliveries to notch the second
highest Test score by a Pakistani opener behind Hanif Mohammad’s 337,
made against the West Indies at Bridgetown in 1958.
Umar said it was his wish to score a double hundred.
“I had a burning desire to score a double hundred,” a jaded Umar said
after play. “It was hot out there but I am glad that I am now in the
illustrious company of Sohail and Hanif who were great players from
Pakistan.”
He added 160 for the second wicket with Ali, 82 with Younis for
third, 76 with Misbah for the fourth and 75 with Shafiq for the fifth.
Pakistan resumed at 259-1 with overnight pair Umar and Ali extending
their second wicket stand as they again remained unflappable on a pitch
that gave little response to pace and spin.
Ali, who has 10 half centuries in 14 Tests now, yet again failed to
register his maiden hundred as he came late on a swinging delivery which
uprooted his off-stump. Ali struck six boundaries.
Younis had a shaky start as he was beaten by Welegedara first ball
and was then dropped by Prasanna Jayawardene off skipper Tillakaratna
Dilshan when a leg-side edge was dropped by the wicket-keeper despite
getting two attempts.
Umar, 31, remained steady as he hit a glorious boundary off Suranga
Lakmal and then took a single off Herath to go past his previous best
score of 135, made on two occasions.
He hit 135 against South Africa at Cape Town in 2003 and repeated
that score against the West Indies at St. Kitts earlier this year.
Younis was trapped leg-before by paceman Chanaka Welegedara. AFP
Sri Lanka
1st innings 197
PAKISTAN
1ST INNINGS (overnight 259-1)
Mohammad Hafeez lbw b Herath 75
Taufiq Umar run out 236
Azhar Ali b Welegedara 70
Younis Khan lbw b Welegedara 33
Misbah-ul Haq c P. Jayawardene b Herath 46
Asad Shafiq not out 26
Umar Gul c Mathews b Herath 0
Extras: (b3, lb3, nb16, w3) 25
TOTAL: (for six wkts) 511
Fall of wickets: 1-118 (Hafeez), 2-278 (Ali), 3-360 (Younis), 4-436 (Misbah), 5-511 (Umar), 6-511 (Gul)
Bowling: Welegedara 30-5-80-2 (nb8), Lakmal 24-3-108-0 (nb2), Herath 61.4-16-126-3,
Pradeep 27-1-107-0 (nb6, w1), Dilshan 32-6-84-0 (w2)
Overs: 174.4
SRI LANKA 2ND INNINGS
T. Paranavitana lbw b Gul 0
L. Thirimanne not out 20
K. Sangakkara not out 27
TOTAL: (for one wkt) 47
Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Paranavitana)
Bowling: Gul 4-0-16-1, Cheema 5-0-18-0, Ajmal 1-0-4-0, Khan 1-0-9-0
Overs: 11 |
