FAISALABAD, Oct 22: Sanath Jayasuriya spearheaded a Sri Lankan charge on the third day of the first cricket Test against Pakistan as he unleashed his magic to strike an unconquered 131 at the Iqbal Stadium on Friday for what was his 13th century.
A knock that would make the home batsmen go green with envy, Jayasuriya's heroics saw Sri Lanka reach 285 for three wickets in their second innings at the close of play to lead by 264 runs.
After the Pakistan first innings folded for 264 with only eight runs being added, the tourists recovered from the early loss of their captain Marvan Atapattu, who ended up with a pair in the match.
The 35-year-old Jayasuriya, took control after that early blow inflicted by a fired up Shoaib Akhtar, and gave shape to the innings quickly wiping off Pakistan's meager 21-run lead.
With good support from Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, both of whom scored half centuries, the left-handed Jayasuriya had begun to look ominous from the start. Playing in his 93rd Test, he got to the magical 100-mark off 164 balls, as he lofted spinner Danish Kaneria for a six to long on.
With the former captain firing on all cylinders, he smashed 19 boundaries, there was little the Pakistan attack could do to get rid of him. Featuring in three significant partnerships, Jayasuriya put on 98 runs for the second wicket with Sangakkara and later added 118 runs in a third-wicket stand with vice captain Jayawardene.
The unbroken fourth-wicket involving first innings century-maker Thilan Samaraweera, who was on 15, had yielded 69 runs and was prospering. Shoaib, who had a five-wicket haul in the first innings, had to be content with only two wickets for the day while Kaneria picked up one.
The Sri Lakan innings had begun much the same way as the first, Shoaib having Atapattu lbw for a duck, the batsman matching his debut in 1991-92 against India at Chandigarh, where too he had got a pair.
The Islanders had yet to get off the mark when Shoaib inflicted that blow in the first over of the innings and the visitors were lucky not to lose Jayasuriya soon afterwards. As Shoaib steamed in, he forced Jayasuriya to play one into the safe hands of Moin, only to find it was a no-ball with the Sri Lankan total on 15. But then Jayasuriya, along with Sangakkara erased Pakistan's lead in the fourth over as the two dug in to put useful runs on the board and by lunch Sri Lanka were 98 for one, a lead of 77 runs.
However, Sangakkara who struck 59, his 18th fifty in Tests, was dismissed by Shoaib, first ball after lunch caught by wicketkeeper Moin. Jayasuriya continued to bat in masterly fashion along with Jayawardene and by the tea break, the touring team had extended their lead to 164 runs and were 185 for two.
Having played 87 balls, Jayasuriya got to the half century mark before the break while Jayawardene, 27, became the third of the touring batsmen to do so. He scored a well-played 57 but fell to Kaneria, who had him superbly caught behind by Moin in the 54th over of the day.
Earlier, when Pakistan resumed at the overnight total of 256-8, Shoaib and Sami could not do much and the tail was cleaned up in only 7.1 overs. First to go was Shoaib, trapped lbw by Herath for nine and Kaneria was run out from a Jayasuriya throw after scoring just one run. Sami remained unbeaten on five. Left arm spinner Herath with three for 68 was the top Sri Lankan bowler.
Scoreboard
Sri Lanka (1st innings) 243 (T.Samaraweera 100; Shoaib Akhtar 5-60)
Pakistan (1st innings) (overnight 256-8)
Yasir Hameed c Mubarak b Fernando 58
Imran Farhat c Mubarak b Malinga 11
Asim Kamal c Jayawardene b Fernando 17
Inzamamul Haq c Malinga b Herath 32
Y. Youhana c Kaluwitharana b Herath 17
Shoaib Malik run out (Vaas) 48
Abdul Razzaq c Jayawardene b Vaas 39
Moin Khan b Jayasuriya 5
Mohammad Sami not out 5
Shoaib Akhtar lbw Herath 6
Danish Kaneria run out (Jayasuriya) 1
Extras (b-6 lb-4 nb-12) 22
Total (all out, 84.1 overs) 264
Fall of wkts: 1-28 2-94 3-109 4-134 5-188 6-227 7-246 8-248 9-262
Bowling: Vaas 26-5-62-1 (nb-2), Malinga 10-1-50-1 (nb-4), Fernando 16-0-65-2 (nb-6), Herath 27.1-5-68-3, Samaraweera 1-0-5-0, Jayasuriya 4-1-4-1
Sri Lanka (2nd innings)
M.Atapattu lbw Shoaib Akhtar 0
S.Jayasuriya not out 131
K.Sangakkara c M. Khan b S. Akhtar 59
M.Jayawardene c M Khan b D. Kaneria 57
T.Samaraweera not out 15
Extras (b-4 lb-1 w-2 nb-11 PR-5) 23
Total (for three wickets, 70 overs) 285
Fall of wkts: 1-0 2-98 3-216
Bowling: Shoaib Akhtar 13-1-61-2 (nb-5, w-2), Mohammad Sami 12-1-48-0 (nb-4), Abdul Razzaq 18-7-61-0 (nb-2), Danish Kaneria 23-1-87-1, Shoaib Malik 4-0-18-0.