PALLEKELE, Sri Lanka: Pakistan fast bowler Junaid Khan struck twice in one over as Sri Lanka struggled to 44-3 in the third Test yesterday after Thisara Perera’s four-wicket haul earlier helped to dismiss the tourists for 226.
Khan trapped Dinesh Chandimal leg before wicket for 8 and two balls later he clean bowled leading batsman Kumar Sangakkara without scoring off a delivery that nipped back sharply. Mohammad Sami had captain Mahela Jayawardene lbw with a yorker in the last over of a first day dominated by fast bowlers on a lively wicket.
Tharanga Paranavitana will resume today on 13 at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium with Sri Lanka trailing Pakistan’s first innings by 182.
Perera (4-63) knocked out the top order after Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to field but a half century from Asad Shafiq (75) lifted Pakistan from a precarious 56-4.
Sri Lanka leads the three-match series 1-0 after winning the first test at Galle by 209 runs and drawing the second. Shafiq rescued Pakistan’s innings by putting on 85 with captain Misbah-ul-Haq (40) for the fifth wicket after Perera had exploited the favorable conditions before lunch by removing Taufeeq Umar (29), Mohammad Hafeez (22) and Azhar Ali for a duck.
Just when it looked Misbah and Shafiq were dominating the Sri Lankan bowlers, Perera claimed the only wicket to fall after lunch when Misbah was caught behind. Shafiq raised his half century by slashing over the slips off Dilhara Fernando before he fell to Rangana Herath (3-40).
Shafiq used his feet well in a 158-ball innings with 10 fours.
Pakistan had a setback when Adnan Akmal left the field just before tea after being struck on the finger while playing a short-pitched delivery from Fernando. The wicketkeeper-batsman returned to add 14 to his total but played a reckless sweep off Herath to be bowled for 24.
Akmal was taken to the hospital for X-rays and in his absence stopgap wicketkeeper Umar conceded 10 byes when Sri Lanka batted.
Sri Lanka fielded four fast bowlers with plenty of grass on the wicket to encourage the pacemen.
Perera, one of three changes made by Sri Lanka, clean bowled Hafeez with a delivery that seamed back into the right-hander. Ali then offered a chest high catch to Thilan Samaraweera at gully.
Umar struggled against seamers in a 35-run opening stand with Hafeez, and was let off when Paranavitana dropped an easy chance at first slip off Nuwan Kulasekera when he was on 1.
However, Perera had the left-hander trapped leg before wicket with a sharp delivery that caught the batsman on his crease. In between Perera’s strikes, Kulasekera induced a thin edge off former skipper Younes Khan’s bat which was caught by a diving Prasanna Jayawardene behind the wicket as Pakistan limped to 56-4.
Misbah and Shafiq then played cautiously in the last hour to guide Pakistan to 81-4 before stretching the first innings to 141-4.
