GALLE: Sri Lanka displayed a phenomenal bowling show to drift the game away from Pakistan’s reach as the home side required just five more wickets to win the second Test as they reduced the visitors to 188/5 before Lunch on the final day, here on Thursday.
Skipper Babar Azam remained firm on the crease as he batted throughout the session and scored 76 not-out while wickets kept falling from the other end.
Spinner Ramesh Mendis had the first breakthrough for Sri Lanka as he got rid of opener Imam-ul-Haq – one short of his half-century – early in the day.
Pakistan started the final day’s play with an overnight score of 89/1 and added only eight runs before Imam’s departure.
Wicket-keeper Batter Mohammad Rizwan then combined excellently with the skipper for a third-wicket partnership of 79 runs and taking the scoreboard from 97 to 176.
However, in-form spinner Prabath Jayasuriya dismantled the strong-looking partnership when he bowled out Rizwan after he played 37 run-knock off 69 balls, laced with six boundaries.
After Rizwan’s dismissal, Pakistan lost two more wickets in quick succession as left-handed batter Fawad Alam fell cheaply on one after a disappointing run-out. Whereas, Agha Salman offered his wicket to Jayasuriya just before Lunch on a mere 4 runs.
For Sri Lanka, Jayasuriya led the charge with three wickets while Mendis had one to his credit.
Pakistan required 319 more runs to win the match and five wickets to defend in order to save the second Test with skipper Babar Azam resuming the play in the second session.
READ: Nick Kyrgios withdraws from Atlanta tournament
The post Sri Lanka cripple Pakistan on 188/5 before Lunch on final day appeared first on ASports.tv.
from ASports.tv https://ift.tt/1kfR7HG