SL Pak T 3 Day 3: Pak Gain Firm Foothold After Mallik Century

Perhaps it is not all doom yet for Pakistan, even though the series has slipped away. In the third Test at the SSC, Colombo, Pakistan rallied into a strong position on the back of Shoaib Mallik’s century.
Pakistan had a reasonable lead over Sri Lanka after their respective first innings. But the sixty-odd runs needed another innings of note in order to set Sri Lanka a target that would prove difficult for the hosts who won the series 1-0.
Pakistan have tended to cave in at unexpected moments and it has contributed to their losses in both previous Tests. Pakistan looked in danger of the same at sixty-seven for four. But that was before Mallik and Misbah ul Haq got together.
Pakistan managed to restrict Sri Lanka to 233 in the first innings despite Mahela Jayawardene’s seventy-nine runs, Sri Lankan captain, Kumar Sangakkara’s forty-five and Tillekeratne Dilshan’s forty-four because of the efforts of five wicket haul man, Danesh Kaneria and the three wickets to Saeed Ajmal, making it an all spin show.
With Pakistan in trouble in the second innings, Misbah and Mallik put on a 119 run partnership for the fifth wicket that allowed Misbah to score sixty-five runs. The fall of his wicket at 186 brought Kamran Akmal to the crease and Pakistan went for the runs.
Akmal remained unbeaten on a sixty-eight ball sixty while Mallik had notched up a fine Test century that ensured Pakistan could not be blamed for a inglorious collapse.
Pakistan were 300 for five at stumps on the third day and in the driver’s seat if they can extend the lead to put it out of the reach of the hosts with two days remaining and deny Chaminda Vaas a glorious way to go out.