Ajmal’s late strike keeps Third Test in balance
Off-spinner Saeed Ajmal took two wickets in an over to check Sri
Lanka’s victory bids on the fourth day of the third and final cricket
Test against Pakistan at Sharjah stadium here on Sunday.
The wily-spinner dismissed Angelo Mathews (13) and Kaushal Silva (nought)
in the final hour to stop Sri Lanka who were on the right track after
half-centuries by Tharanaga Paranavitana and Kumar Sangakkara.
Sri Lanka, aiming to level the three-Test series after losing the
second Test in Dubai by nine wickets, will seek some quick runs early on
Monday, with Paranavitana unbeaten on 66 and Kosala Kulasekera on four
not out.
They lead by 237 runs with five wickets intact on a weary pitch which
helped the spinners as Ajmal, Mohammad Hafeez and Abdul Rehman troubled
the batsman with spin and deliveries that kept low. The first match in
Abu Dhabi ended as a draw. Paranavitana, dropped on two and 25, batted
valiantly to keep Sri Lanka in the hunt as they lost Tillakaratne
Dilshan (four), Sangakkara (51) and Mahela Jayawardene (20) while in
search for quick runs.
Sharjah, Sunday, AFP
Sri Lanka
1st innings 413
PAKISTAN 1ST INNINGS
Mohammad Hafeez c Jayawardene b Welegedara 6
Taufiq Umar st Silva b Herath 19
Azhar Ali b Kulasekara 53
Younis Khan b Welegedara 122
Misbah-ul Haq c Dilshan b Randiv 89
Asad Shafiq c Silva b Welegedara 16
Adnan Akmal lbw b Herath 7
Abdul Rehman c Paranavitana b Welegedara 3
Umar Gul c Mathews b Herath 5
Saeed Ajmal not out 12
Junaid Khan b Welegedara 0
Extras: (lb2, nb3, w3) 8
TOTAL: 340
Fall of wickets: 1-8 (Hafeez), 2-35 (Umar), 3-133 (Ali), 4-233 (Younis), 5-258 (Shafiq),
6-277 (Akmal), 7-282 (Rehman), 8-289 (Gul), 9-336 (Misbah).
Bowling: Welegedara 35.2-10-87-5 (w1), Prasad 4-0-9-0, Kulasekara 25-7-65-1 (nb3, w1),
Herath 42-14-85-3 (w1), Randiv 25-5-74-1, Dilshan 7-1-18-0.
SRI LANKA 2ND INNINGS
T. Paranavitana not out 66
T. Dilshan c Hafeez b Gul 4
K. Sangakkara c Shafiq b Hafeez 51
M. Jayawardene lbw b Gul 20
A. Mathews lbw b Ajmal 13
K. Silva lbw b Ajmal 0
K. Kulasekera not out 4
Extras: (lb4, nb2) 6
TOTAL: (for five wkts) 164
Fall of wickets: 1-5 (Dilshan), 2-80 (Sangakkara), 3-127 (Jayawardene), 4-155 (Mathews), 5-155 (Silva)
Bowling: Gul 12.4-1-35-2, Khan 5-3-9-0, Rehman 12-1-38-0, Hafeez 10-1-34-1, Ajmal 14-2-44-2. |
