Ton-up Sangakkara keeps Pakistan at bay
Kumar Sangakkara put his wealth of experience on show with a
pugnacious unbeaten hundred to keep Pakistan’s victory bids on hold in
the first Test here on Friday.
The 33-year-old left-hander notched 161 for his 26th Test hundred to
help Sri Lanka, trailing by 314 runs in the first innings, reach 298-5
in their second knock at close on the fourth day at Abu Dhabi stadium.
They need only 16 runs to make Pakistan bat again, and will look to
bat out at least two of the three sessions on the fifth and final day to
salvage an unlikely draw.
Sangakkara found an able ally in Prasanna Jayawardene (25 not out) to
fight off the second new ball, with which paceman Umar Gul struck with
the first delivery to remove Angelo Mathews (22). The
Sangakkara-Jayawardene stand for the sixth wicket has so far yielded 65
runs.
Playing his 101st Test, Sangakkara took the fight to the Pakistani
bowlers, adding an invaluable 153 runs for the second wicket with opener
Lahiru Thirimanne who made a career-best 68.
Walking into bat after Sri Lanka lost opener Tharanga Paranavitana
off the very first ball of their second innings on Thursday, Sangakkara
batted with resolve as Sri Lanka, resuming at 47-1, reached 125-1 by
lunch.
Pakistan then hit back by dismissing Thirimanne soon after lunch, run
out after the opener, taking a second run but failed to beat a throw
from the fine-leg by Azhar Ali.
Seven runs later, Mahela Jayawardene (four) played on to off-spinner
Saeed Ajmal before paceman Junaid Khan bowled skipper Tillakaratne
Dilshan through the gate for nine, leaving Sri Lanka at 191-4.
Despite losing partners, Sangakkara kept his cool, hitting Khan for
his 11th boundary to reach three-figure mark, his sixth against
Pakistan. He has so far hit 16 boundaries off 295 balls.
Pakistan spilled as many as six catches in the day but their first
innings, three off Thirimanne, which helped Sri Lanka fight back.
Khan, who destroyed Sri Lanka with 5-38 in their first innings of
197, was the unlukcy bowler on three occasions as Mohammad Hafeez
grassed two regulation catches in the slip off Thirimanne when he was on
40.
Much to Khan’s disappointment Younis Khan held a sharp edge off
Sangakkara but the catch was disallowed by the umpires as the ball had
bounced before getting into the hands of the slip fielder.
Pakistan again let off Sangakkara when Younis failed to hold onto a
sharp edge when a Saeed Ajmal’s delivery surprised the left-handed
batsman batting on 56.
Pakistan also let off Prasanna when substitute fielder Wahab Riaz
failed to catch a miscued hook off Gul when the batsman was 12.
The two remaining Test matches in the series, shifted to neutral
venues over security fears in Pakistan, will be played in Dubai (October
26-30) and Sharjah (November 3-7). ABU DHABI, Friday (AFP) |