It has finally boiled down to this. Pakistan will have to defy the opening overs of the fourth innings in order to seal a win and take the lead in the three Test series here in Galle.
Thus far, it has been a pulsating match with honours swinging from one team to the other. If Sri Lanka were rattled early on day one, two down for twenty-one, they found doughty resilience in Paranavitana who top scored with seventy-two, with a valuable partnership with Angelo Matthews for forty-two as the middle and lower order pieced together 292 in the first innings for Sri Lanka.
In Pakistan’s first innings, the story belonged largely to Mohammad Yousuf who cut his ties with the ICL (Indian Cricket League) after much haranguing with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) over a possible contact with the IPL (Indian Premier League). The central contract with the PCB came in time as he scored a top notch century, Misbah ul Haq next best on fifty-six. Pakistan suffered their own horrors in the opening overs, losing two wickets for five runs. The late recovery, despite Nuwan Kulasekara’s four wickets and Thilan Thushara’s two, meant that Pakistan reached 342, a lead of fifty runs sizeable on this pitch at Galle.
Sri Lanka needed to overcome the deficit before they could put up a target for Pakistan. They lost Warnapura early but staged a recovery, largely due to Paranavitana’s forty-nine. However, Sri Lanka were once again derailed by the seventeen year old fast bowler Mohammed Aamer whose three wicket burst put paid to a target beyond Pakistan’s reach. Aamer scalped Paranavitana, Sri Lankan captain, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene and Sri Lanka were left to pick up the crumbs to make a meal of the match.
Thilan Samaraweera’s thirty-four was then the lead for the lower order, including Sri Lanka’s bowlers, to keep the scorecard ticking rather desperately even as Pakistan captain Younis Khan found more reasons to smile. Saeed Ajmal finished with three wickets, as Sri Lanka finished their second innings with 217 on board, leaving Pakistan with an enticing target of 168 with two days and a session after tea to follow.
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