Pakistan dominates
Pakistan bowled and fielded well to bowl Sri Lanka out for another
low score of 239 in the first innings to finish the opening day of the
second Test on top here on Wednesday.
Paceman Umar Gul (3-78) did the early damage in company with Junaid
Khan (2-57) before spinners Saeed Ajmal (3-45) and Abdul Rehman (2-40)
completed the job at a bouncy Dubai Stadium pitch.
Pakistan, who spurned a good chance to go 1-0 up in the three-match
series with sloppy fielding in the first Test at Abu Dhabi last week,
moved to 42-0 at close.
Openers Mohammad Hafeez (18) and Taufiq Umar (20) were at the crease
on a day when Pakistani bowlers dominated yet again.
Sri Lanka, who chose to bat after winning the toss, slumped to 30-3
and then 154-8 despite a valiant 78 from Kumar Sangakkara before a ninth
wicket stand of 75 between Chanaka Welegedara (48) and Rangana Herath
(29) lifted them past the 200-mark.
Sangakkara, who celebrates his 34th birthday on Thursday, hit eleven
boundaries and added an invaluable 54 runs for the sixth wicket with
debutant Kaushal Silva (20).
Welegedara hit two sixes and four boundaries during his 127-ball
surpirsing knock. But Sri Lanka’s batting, managing just 197 in the
first innings in the first Test, failed yet again against a hostile
pace-cum spin attack by Pakistan.
When Sangakkara looked set for another century he lost his
concentration as he jumped down the crease to hoist Rehman straight into
the hands of deep mid-wicket fielder Asad Shafiq.
Sangakkara, who also added 27 for the seventh wicket with Dhammika
Prasad (seven), had defied the Pakistani bowlers during the first
session in which Sri Lanka lost five wickets, three in Gul’s incisive
first spell.
Junaid Khan ably complemented Gul by dismissing Tillakaratne Dilshan
(seven) and Angelo Mathews (19) to leave Sri Lanka struggling at 78-5 at
lunch.
Gul had trapped opener Lahiru Thirimanne (one) leg before with the
second delivery of his second over before he accounted for Tharanga
Paranavitana (six) caught in the slip off a rash drive off the second
delivery of his fifth.
Off his sixth delivery, Gul had the experienced Mahela Jayawardene
(six) edging into the slips for Misbah to make two in two, leading by
example in the slips after Pakistan floored seven chances in the first
Test. Khan, who took a career-best 5-38 in the first Test, had Dilshan
caught in the slip and then Mathews caught behind by keeper A
dnan Akmal.
Sangakkara dispatched Gul for his eighth boundary to bring up his
37th half-century before Rehman’s dismissed him and Silva in his first
spell.
Sri Lanka were forced to make two changes from the first Test
line-up, leaving Prasanna Jayawardene and Nuwan Pradeep to include
Prasad and Silva. Prasanna, who made a fighting 120 in the first Test,
had a abdominal strain.
AFP
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