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| March 28, 2006 | Tuesday | Safar 27, 1427 |
Pakistan wrest initiative as wickets tumble
COLOMBO, March 27: Fast bowler Mohammad Asif and opener Imran Farhat played good hands to help Pakistan seize the initiative as bowlers prevailed in the first Test against Sri Lanka on Monday.
Asif snared four for 41 as Sri Lanka were skittled out for a modest 185 and then the left-handed Imran scored 69 from 90 balls to consolidate his team’s advantage.
Pakistan finished the second day’s play after Sunday’s opening day total washout on 124 for four, trailing by 61 runs with captain Inzamamul Haq looking ominously dangerous on 30 not out.
Just after tea, Sri Lanka had fought themselves back into the game as three top order wickets tumbled in quick succession and Pakistan slumped to 28 for three.
Imran and Inzamam rescued Pakistan with a 94-run stand though Sri Lanka did strike again just before bad light stopped play when Imran skied a bouncer and was caught at long leg.
In the Sri Lanka innings, Pakistan’s Asif was well supported by new ball partner Umar Gul (two for 41) and leg-spinner Danish Kaneria (three for 44).
Inzamam’s decision to bowl first was quickly justified as the ball danced round off the seam on a pitch that had remained covered for 24 hours after the first day’s abandonment.
Sri Lanka’s openers were dismissed in a 3.4 over session before a further rain interruption held up play for 40 minutes.
Upul Tharanga (nought) was adjudged lbw to a delivery from Asif and Sanath Jayasuriya (six), playing his first Test for over six months, chopped a short ball onto his stumps.
Sri Lanka’s problems escalated after the rain break, Kumar Sangakkara (eight) shouldering arms to a fine delivery from Asif that cut back to clip his off bail.
Captain Mahela Jayawardene laboured 30 minutes for his one run before chasing a wide delivery from Umar Gul and edging a low catch to wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal.
Then Thilan Samaraweera (four) played no stroke to a delivery that cannoned straight into his middle stump.
The hosts were reeling on 32 for five before middle order batsman Tillekeratne Dilshan and all-rounder Farveez Maharoof launched a brave fightback either side of lunch.
Dilshan cracked his 69 from 106 balls with 10 boundaries and Maharoof scored a more sedate 46 from 90 balls.
Asif, bowling around the wicket, ended the 111-run partnership in the first over of his second spell, courtesy of a wonderful reflex catch at second slip by Younis Khan.
Younis was back in action a few minutes later as Dilshan edged a leg break from Kaneria low to slip.
Kaneria deceived fellow leg-spinner Malinga Bandara with a googly and with all-rounder Shahid Afridi he mopped up the tail.
Pakistan also failed to start well as Maharoof produced a double-strike to remove opener Shoaib Malik (13) and Younis Khan (zero) off consecutive deliveries.
Malik was caught at square-leg while Younis edged one to Sangakkara behind the stumps.
The visitors stumbled to 28-3 when Lasith Malinga removed Faisal Iqbal (two) but Imran and Inzamam steadied the innings with their defiant partnership.
Sri Lanka have lost captain Marvan Atapattu and Chaminda Vaas to injuries and Jayawardene is leading the side. Pakistan are without experienced middle-order batsman Mohammad Yousuf, who has a hamstring injury.
The second and final Test will be played in Kandy from April 3.
Scoreboard
SRI LANKA (1st Innings):
W.U. Tharanga lbw b Asif 0
S.T. Jayasuriya b Umar 6
K.C. Sangakkara b Asif 8
D.P.M.D. Jayawardene c Kamran b Umar 1
T.T. Samaraweera b Asif 4
T.M. Dilshan c Younis b Kaneria 69
M.F. Maharoof c Younis b Asif 46
C.M. Bandara b Kaneria 16
C.R.D. Fernando c Inzamam b Kaneria 16
S.L. Malinga c Inzamam b Afridi 8
M. Muralitharan not out 0
EXTRAS (B-4, LB-6, W-1) 11
TOTAL (all out, 57.5 overs) 185
FALL OF WKTS: 1-0, 2-10, 3-18, 4-26, 5-32, 6-143, 7-149, 8-162, 9-177.
BOWLING: Mohammad Asif 15-4-41-4; Umar Gul 13-3-41-2 (w-1); Abdul Razzaq 10-1-43-0; Danish Kaneria 17.5-3-44-3; Shahid Afridi 2-0-6–1.
PAKISTAN (1st Innings):
Shoaib Malik c Bandara b Maharoof 13
Imran Farhat c Bandara b Malinga 69
Younis Khan c Sangakkara b Maharoof 0
Faisal Iqbal c Maharoof b Malinga 2
Inzamamul Haq not out 30
Abdul Razzaq not out 1
EXTRAS (B-1, NB-8) 9
TOTAL (for four wkts, 32 overs) 124
FALL OF WKTS: 1-25, 2-25, 3-28, 4-122.
TO BAT: Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal, Mohammad Asif, Danish Kaneria, Umar Gul.
BOWLING (to-date): Malinga 8-2-24-2 (2nb); Maharoof 8-2-29-2 (3nb); Fernando 3-0-20-0 (3nb); Bandara 7-1-32-0; Muralitharan 6-0-18–0.
UMPIRES: R.E. Koertzen (South Africa) and S.J. Davis (Australia).
TV UMPIRE: T.H. Wijewardene (Sri Lanka).
MATCH REFEREE: A.G. Hurst (Australia).
—Agencies
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