COLOMBO: Young Sri Lanka off-spinner Tharindu Kaushal scythed through Pakistan’s batting order to pick up his maiden five-wicket haul as the visitors were bundled out for 138 on the opening day of the second Test on Thursday.

Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq was left to rue his decision to bat after winning the toss as Sri Lanka’s bowlers extracted enough movement from the P. Sara Oval pitch to dismiss their opponents in two sessions.

In reply, the hosts, looking for a series-levelling win after losing the first Test in Galle by 10 wickets, made a watchful start and reached stumps on 70 for one, losing of opener Dimuth Karunaratne (28). Kaushal Silva (21) and Kumar Sangakkara (18) were at the crease.

Pakistan’s pace spearhead Wahab Riaz suffered a blow on his bowling hand while batting which weakened the attack as the left-arm paceman was experiencing pain trying to hold the ball.

Kaushal, playing only his second Test, came in as a replacement for the injured Dilruwan Perera and took all his wickets in the second session after fast bowler Dhammika Prasad picked up the first three.

THARINDU Kaushal celebrates after taking the wicket of Yasir Shah. —Reuters

“It was good to bowl on this wicket,” said Kaushal, who regards fellow off-spinner and world bowling record holder Muttiah Muralitharan as his hero.

“I occasionally bowled the ‘doosra’ and even managed to pick up a wicket with it. I am happy I was able to help the team do well on the field,” he added.

Opener Mohammad Hafeez (42), who was hit on the back of his helmet by debutant fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera, was the highest scorer for the visitors.

Prasad, who took the field despite having suffered a finger injury during net practice on Wednesday, struck with the first ball of his second over to make it five for one.

He forced Ahmed Shehzad to edge a rising ball to second slip where the 37-year-old Kumar Sangakkara dived to his right to pick up a low catch.

Azhar Ali, who put on 46 for the second wicket with Hafeez, was dismissed for 26 when TV umpire Paul Reiffel upheld Sri Lanka’s review for an edge off Prasad after on-field official Richard Illingworth had turned down the appeal.

Younis Khan, appearing in his 100th Test, was lucky to survive another review from Mathews off his own bowling but fell immediately after lunch to give Prasad his third scalp.

Kaushal began his wicket hunt by bowling Hafeez in his fourth over and, six deliveries later, trapped Asad Shafiq leg-before for two as the tourists slid from 74-2 to 95-5.

A sharp shower just as Asad was walking back to the pavilion halted play for an hour, but Pakistan’s woes multiplied on resumption.

Misbah ran himself out after making seven, failing to regain his ground after dashing down the wicket for a sharp single which was refused by non-striker Sarfraz Ahmed.

Sarfraz, the batting hero of Pakistan’s victory at Galle, made 14 when he edged a drive off Kaushal on to his pad and the ball lobbed to Angelo Mathews in the slips.

Kaushal then claimed Wahab Riaz leg-before through a review after umpire Sundaram Ravi had turned down a loud shout from the bowler and the close-on fielders.

Zulfiqar Babar was bowled to give debutant seamer Dushmantha Chameera his first Test wicket, before a fine running catch at long-on by Sangakkara to dismiss Yasir Shah terminated the innings.

Pakistan’s hopes then rested on Misbah (seven) but the 41-year-old was run out after a misunderstanding with Sarfraz Ahmed (14).

Such was Kaushal’s impact on the innings that Sri Lanka did not need their main spinner Rangana Herath to bowl an over as the 22-year-old with a distinctive high-kneed run-up rose to the occasion on his home debut with figures of five for 42.

Sri Lanka also handed a debut to 23-year-old Chameera, who picked up his first Test wicket when Zulfiqar Babar dragged a short ball onto his stumps.

Pakistan retained the same side that won the first Test to take the lead in the three-match series.

Sri Lanka made two changes, replacing off-spinner Dilruwan Perera and seamer Nuwan Pradeep with Kaushal and Chameera.

Pakistan coach Waqar Younis insisted the decision to bat first was correct because it was a good pitch to bat on.

“There were no demons in the pitch,” the former fast bowler said. “Our shot selection was poor and Sri Lanka bowled well too. But we should have got a lot more runs than we did. Our bowlers too kept the runs in check and we need to continue the same way tomorrow. “

The third and final Test is in Pallekele from July 3-7 before the teams play five one-dayers and two Twenty20 matches.

Scoreboard

PAKISTAN (1st Innings):

Mohammad Hafeez b Kaushal 42
Ahmed Shehzad c Sangakkara b Prasad 1
Azhar Ali c Chandimal b Prasad 26
Younis Khan c Chandimal b Prasad 6
Misbah-ul-Haq run out 7
Asad Shafiq lbw b Kaushal 2
Sarfraz Ahmed c Mathews b Kaushal 14
Wahab Riaz lbw b Kaushal 4
Yasir Shah c Sangakkara b Kaushal 15
Zulfiqar Babar b Chameera 5
Junaid Khan not out 2

EXTRAS (LB-4, W-3, NB-7) 14
TOTAL (all out, 42.5 overs) 138
FALL OF WKTS: 1-5, 2-51, 3-74, 4-89, 5-95, 6-96, 7-113, 8-117, 9-124.
BOWLING: Prasad 13-2-43-3 (3w); Mathews 9-4-16-0; Chameera 10-0-33-1 (5nb); Kaushal 10.5-0-42-5 (2nb).

SRI LANKA (1st Innings):
F.D.M. Karunaratne c Sarfraz b Junaid 28
J.K. Silva not out 21
K.C. Sangakkara not out 18

Extras (B-2, NB-1) 3
Total (for one wkt, 32 overs) 70
FALL OF WKT: 1-47.
TO BAT: H.D.R.L. Thirimanne, A.D. Mathews, L.D. Chandimal, K.D.K. Vithanage, K.T.G.D. Prasad, P.H.T. Kaushal, H.M.R.K.B. Herath, P.V.D. Chameera.
BOWLING (to-date): Wahab Riaz 9-2-19-0 (1nb); Junaid Khan 10-3-26-1; Zulfiqar Babar 7-4-9-0; Yasir Shah 6-0-14-0.

UMPIRES: R.K. Illingworth (England) and S. Ravi (India).
TV UMPIRE: P.R. Reiffel (Australia).
MATCH REFEREE: B.C. Broad (England).

Published in Dawn, June 26th, 2015

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