COLOMBO, March 30: Shoaib Malik ground out a patient maiden Test century under pressure to help Pakistan draw the opening match against Sri Lanka after being set a mammoth target to win.

The 24-year-old opener scored 148 not out as the tourists reached 337-4 in their second innings at stumps on the last day while chasing an improbable 458 at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground.

Pakistan made no serious attempt to reach such a massive target, which would have smashed the world-record run chase of 418 by the West Indies against Australia at Antigua in 2003.

Shoaib showed the way in a marathon, 369-ball innings as the visitors batted to save the match rather than win on a fifth-day pitch.

Shoaib, 30 overnight, impressed with his temperament and shot-selection as he batted more than a day to thwart Sri Lanka. He hit two sixes and 21 fours in his 369-ball innings.

Sri Lankan vice-captain Kumar Sangakkara was named Man-of-the-Match for his second-innings 185.

Resuming at 89 for two, Pakistan were helped by an 81-minute interruption due to bad light and drizzle during the morning.

Shoaib and Faisal Iqbal survived the morning and early afternoon without major alarm on a pitch that grew increasingly placid.

Even off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan was handled with relative ease and skipper Mahela Jayawardene used seven bowlers to try and conjure up a breakthrough.

The hosts finally found success with the second new ball, which was taken immediately it became available at 179 for two.

The Pakistani opener, whose previous Test-best was 64 against the West Indies at Jamaica last year, completed his hundred in style when he drove spinner Sanath Jayasuriya for a four in the last session.

Shoaib put Pakistan on the right track, adding 115 for the third wicket with Faisal (60) and 81 for the next with skipper Inzamamul Haq (48).

Sri Lanka’s hopes of winning the match depended on Muralitharan, the only bowler to capture 1,000 Test and One-day International wickets.

But the spinner had a rare off-day, claiming just one wicket in 28 overs.

When Muralitharan struck, Pakistan had virtually saved the match. His lone success came in the last session when he had Inzamam caught bat-pad by Tillekeratne Dilshan at silly-point.

Pakistan began impressively when they denied the hosts success in the rain-curtailed morning session after resuming at 89-2, thanks to Shoaib and Faisal.

With Muralitharan going wicketless in the first session, Sri Lanka took the second new ball immediately after it was due in the afternoon session and tasted instant success.

Seamer Farveez Maharoof provided the breakthrough in his first over when he trapped Faisal leg-before, but not before the batsman had frustrated the hosts for more than a session.

Faisal, nephew of former Pakistan captain and batting legend Javed Miandad, hit six fours in his fourth Test half-century.

Sri Lanka continued to struggle for wickets as Shoaib and Inzamam batted steadily. The Pakistani captain hit eight fours in his 89-ball knock.

All-rounder Abdul Razzaq made merry in pressure-free conditions late on, hitting four boundaries in his unbeaten 31-ball 20.

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