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19 March 2024

Pakistan vs Sri Lanka 3rd Test Day 1: Karunaratne century rescues Lanka

Sri Lankan cricketer Dimuth Karunaratne watches the ball after playing a shot during the final day of the second Test cricket match between Sri Lanka and Pakistan at the P. Sara Oval Cricket Stadium in Colombo on June 29, 2015. (AFP)

Published
By Cricket Correspondent and Agencies
 




Dimuth Karunaratne's second Test century lifted Sri Lanka to 272 for eight against Pakistan after Yasir Shah exposed their frailties against leg-spin on the opening day of the series-deciding third and final Test in Pallekele on Friday.

At 106 for one in the second session, Sri Lanka looked poised for a big first-innings total before Shah, who took 17 wickets in the first two matches, tormented them again with his flight and variation to claim four for 77.

Tharindu Kaushal was batting on 17 with Suranga Lakmal (one) after Shah had wrecked the top order and part-time leg-spinner Azhar Ali claimed two late wickets in two balls to peg back the hosts.

Karunaratne fell for 130 off 230 balls, hitting 14 fours in a patient knock which rescued Sri Lanka.

The hosts lost Kaushal Silva (nine) in the morning session when the batsman edged paceman Rahat Ali, one of the four new faces in the Pakistan team, to be caught behind.

Karunaratne added 91 with Upul Tharanga (46) to steady the innings but Shah wreaked havoc after lunch as Sri Lanka lost three wickets for the addition of just 31 runs.

Tharanga was outfoxed by a Shah googly that took the outside edge, deflected off wicketkeeper Ahmed's pads and ballooned up for Younus Khan to take a diving catch at slip.

Lahiru Thirimanne needed 17 balls to get off the mark before he decided to come down the track and hit a Shah delivery straight to mid-off.

Skipper Angelo Mathews, the only member of the Sri Lankan side to have played more than 25 Tests, was also guilty of poor shot selection, hitting Shah straight to mid-on.

A resolute Karunaratne took two runs off Azhar to bring up his century in 188 balls - contributing exactly half of the team total at that point - before punching the air in celebration.

He added 67 runs with Jehan Mubarak (25), who was playing his first Test in more than seven years after being named in the side in one of the four Sri Lanka changes.

Mubarak got started but could not convert it and was lured out of his crease to be stumped.

Azhar struck back-to-back blows by dismissing Karunaratne and Dhammika Prasad off successful deliveries as Sri Lanka lost four wickets in the final session.

Pakistan restricted Sri Lanka to 272-8 despite a solid century from opener Dimuth Karunaratne (130) with Shah claiming 4-77.

Rahat strikes trapping Chandimal leg before with Pakistan successfully overturning a not out decision. SL 264-8, 84.2 overs.

Dinesh Chandimal lbw b Rahat Ali 24 (41b 2x4 0x6)


Pakistan have taken the second new ball with Sri Lanka 257-7 after 81 overs.

Azhar is on a hat-trick as Prasad perishes first ball holing out to backward square leg. SL 248-7, 78 overs.

Dhammika Prasad c Yasir Shah b Azhar Ali 0 (1b 0x4 0x6)

Azhar strikes taking the big wicket of Karunaratne who is bamboozled by a googly. SL 248-6, 77.5 overs.

Dimuth Karunaratne st Sarfraz Ahmed b Azhar Ali 130 (230b 14x4 0x6)

Pakistan get another breakthrough as Shah snares Mubarak who dances down the track. SL 204.5 67 overs.

Jehan Mubarak st Sarfraz Ahmed b Yasir Shah 25 (63b 4x4 0x6)

Karunaratne whips Azhar through midwicket for a couple to complete his second Test century. SL 200-4, 64 overs.

Karunaratne drives Adil beautifully through the covers for a boundary to move to 90. SL 185-4, 61 overs.

Mubarak stands tall and pulls a short ball from Imran to the square leg fence. SL 170-4, 58 overs.

Tea


Pakistan leg-spinner Yasir Shah claimed three wickets in the post-lunch session to restrict Sri Lanka to 153 for four at tea on the opening day of the series-deciding third Test at Pallekele on Friday.

Sri Lanka, who won the second Test in Colombo to level the series, resumed after lunch on 85-1 before the bowler who took 17 wickets in the first two matches returned to torment them again with his flight and variation.

For the hosts, opener Dimuth Karunaratne remained unbeaten on a composed 70 with Jehan Mubarak, playing his first Test in more than seven years, on nine at the other end.

Asked to bat, Sri Lanka lost Kaushal Silva (nine) in the morning session when the batsman edged paceman Rahat Ali to wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed.

Karunaratne added 91 with Upul Tharanga (46) to steady the innings but Shah came back after lunch to wreck their top order as Sri Lanka, steady at 106-1, lost three wickets for the addition of just 31 runs.

Tharanga was outfoxed by a Shah googly that took the outside edge, deflected off wicketkeeper Ahmed's pads and ballooned up for Younus Khan to take a diving catch at slip.

Lahiru Thirimanne needed 17 balls to get off the mark before he decided to race down the track and hit a Shah delivery straight to the mid-off fielder.

Skipper Angelo Mathews, the only member of the Sri Lankan side to have played more than 25 Tests, was also guilty of poor shot selection, hitting Shah straight to the mid-on fielder.

Mubarak pounces on a loose delivery from Shah to punch through point for a boundary. SL 153-4, 53 overs.

Mubarak returning to Test cricket after more than seven years opens his account with a streaky boundary off Azhar. SL 147-4, 52 overs.

Skipper Mathews commits hara kiri trying to hit Shah against the turn only to be scooped it to mid-on. SL 137-4, 47 overs.

Angelo Mathews c sub (Babar Azam) b Yasir Shah 3 (12b 0x4 0x6)

Thirimanne succumbs to the pressure caused by Shah virtually throwing his wicket away. SL 133-3, 44.2 overs.

Lahiru Thirimanne c sub (Babar Azam) b Yasir Shah 11 (30b 2x4 0x6)


Thirimanne shows off his dancing skills stepping out to drive Shah through the off for a delightful boundary. SL 128-2, 43 overs.

Thirimanne gets a streaky boundary edging Rahat over slips. SL 123-2, 41 overs.

Thirimanne gets off the mark after 17 balls with a single. SL 117-2, 41 overs.

Karunaratne whips Shah off his toes for a couple to bring up his seventh Test half century.

Shah strikes scalping Tharanga who nicks to slip going for an expansive drive after 91 runs with Karunaratne. SL 106-2, 34.5 overs.

Upul Tharanga c Younis Khan b Yasir Shah 46 (92b 6x4 0x6)

Tharanga breaks the shackles rocking back and cracking Shah through point for a boundary. SL 98-1, 33 overs.

Lunch

Hosts Sri Lanka overcame the early loss of opener Kaushal Silva to reach 85 for one at lunch on the opening day of the third and series-deciding Test at Pallekele on Friday.

Opener Dimuth Karunaratne was batting on 34 with Upul Tharanga (39) at the other end. Both hit five boundaries after Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq won the toss and asked Sri Lanka to bat.

Left-arm paceman Rahat Ali, one of the four new faces in Pakistan's starting line-up, gave his team an early breakthrough, inducing an edge from Silva (nine) with wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed taking the catch.

Karunaratne survived an anxious moment when Pakistan unsuccessfully reviewed a decision after the umpire had turned down bowler Imran Khan's leg-before appeal.

Tharanga hit Rahat for back-to-back boundaries as the batsmen survived some testing bowling from the Pakistani attack, who exploited the early moisture in the pitch to trouble them.

Pakistan were without injured paceman Wahab Riaz, while the trio of opener Mohammad Hafeez, pace bowler Junaid Khan and left-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar have all been dropped from the starting line-up.

Rahat, Shan Masood, Imran Khan and Ehsan Adil were included as Pakistan opted for a bowling attack with three seam bowlers and in-form leg-spinner Yasir Shah.

For Sri Lanka, retiring Kumar Sangakkara sat out the match and the hosts also left out injured paceman Dushmantha Chameera, left-arm spinner Rangana Herath and middle order batsman Kithuruwan Vithanage.

Upul Tharanga, Jehan Mubarak, Suranga Lakmal and Nuwan Pradeep are the four replacements.

Rahat returns for a second spell and Tharanga helps himself to a boundary off an outside edge. SL 70-1, 20 overs.

Shah comes into the attack and Karunaratne greets him by whipping to the midwicket fence. SL 61-1, 17 overs.

Karunaratne drives Adil down the ground to bring up the 50 of the innings in 12.2 overs.

Pakistan lose a review and Karunaratne survives a leg before appeal with replays suggesting he had got an inside edge.

Tharanga shows he is a man in form by cracking two consecutive boundaries off Rahat. SL 42-1, 9 overs.

Tharanga gets into his stride by driving Rahat past mid-off for a boundary. SL 24-1, 7 overs.

Rahat strikes getting Silva to nick one behind even as he tries to pull out off a good lenth delivery which slants away. SL 15-1, 4.3 overs.

Kaushal Silva c Sarfraz Ahmed b Rahat Ali 9 (11b 2x4 0x6)

Silva also gets into his stride by driving Adil through point for a boundary. SL 10-0, 2 overs.

Karunaratne gets a boundary off the first ball from Rahat via an outside edge. SL 6-0, 1 over.

Pakistan have won the toss and put Sri Lanka into bat in the decisive third Test at Pallekelle on Friday.

Sri Lanka have made three changes besides the absence of Kumar Sangakkara by omitting Chameera, Herath and Vithanage.

Upul Tharanga, Jehan Mubarak and Suranga Lakmal are in.

Pakistan too  have made a couple of changes with Shan Masood returning while Junaid, Babar and the injured Wahab are out.

Ehsan Adil, Rahat Ali and Imran Khan are back.

Teams


Sri Lanka:
Kaushal Silva, Dimuth Karunaratne, Upul Tharanga, Lahiru Thirimanne, Angelo Mathews (capt), Dinesh Chandimal, Jehan Mubarak, Dhammika Prasad, Tharinda Kaushal, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep

Pakistan:  Ahmed Shehzad, Shan Masood, Azhar Ali, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Asad Shafiq, Sarfraz Ahmed, Ehsan Adil, Yasir Shah, Rahat Ali, Imran Khan     
                                    
Referees:  Ian Gould (Umpire), Paul Reiffel (Umpire), Sundaram Ravi (TV umpire), Chris Broad (Match referee)