The gritty right-arm seamer, Dhammika Prasad’s exceptional spell of 4 for 92 inspired Sri Lanka to dismantle Pakistan late order cheaply and bundle out the visitors for 329 on day four in their second Test at P. Sara Oval grounds.
Sri Lanka need 153 runs to win the game and square the series 1-1. The Lankan bowlers claimed the last 5 Pakistan wickets for 28 runs in the second session. The three Lankan fast-bowlers shared 9 wickets among them. No play was possible after Tea due to heavy rain and the day’s play was called off at around 4pm.
Earlier on the first session, Dhammika Prasad’s opening spell on day 4 was terrific by all counts as he continued to use the overhead conditions to effect. He created an opportunity in the 4th over of the morning by inducing an outside edge off Azhar Ali when he was 68 but a Sangakkara diving to his left at first slip could not hold on to the chance.
Angelo Mathews bowling from the Media Box end tested a disconcerted Younis Khan all morning and finally he broke the stern 73-run stand between Ali and Khan in the 70th over of the innings when the 37-year old gave a pretty easy catch behind to Dinesh Chandimal. Younis made 40 off 67 deliveries. .
Strangely just after Sri Lanka took the second new ball, a Papare band started to entertain the crowd for the first time in the series but because of a request from Misbah Ul-Haq, umpire Richard Illingworth asked them to stop playing. It cursed Misbah (23) as he was given LBW off Dhammika Prasad in the very next over.
After lunch, Shafiq and Ali continued their stand for the 5th wicket before Dushmantha Chameera’s ploy of attacking Shafiq’s ribs worked in the 99th over when the debutant induced a faint edge down the leg side which was snapped by Chandimal to end their 40-run stand.
Sri Lanka needed to remove Sarfraz Ahmed early if they are to curtail the Pakistan lead. The man-in-form Dhammika Prasad was brought back to the attack and immediately he dismissed Ahmed (16) who chased a wide delivery and gave another easy catch to Chandimal. Few balls later, Prasad bowled a stunning full-pitched delivery to uproot the stumps before Yasir Shah troubled the scores.
The left-arm magician Rangana Herath finally got his name in the wickets’ column in this match when he dismissed the rock-solid Azhar Ali for 117 after he was stumped convincingly trying to farm the strike. Ali’s magnificent 9th Test ton consists 6 fours and batted for 308 deliveries.
The 22-year old Dushmantha Chameera claimed the final two wickets (Junaid Khan and Wahab Riaz) with his extra pace.
Pakistan – 138 all out in 42.5 overs: Mohammed Hafeez 42, Azhar Ali 26, Tharindu Kaushal 5/42, Dhammika Prasad 3/43.
Sri Lanka – 315 all out in 121.3 overs: Kaushal Silva 80, Kumar Sangakkara 34, Angelo Mathews 77, Dhammika Prasad 35, Yasir Shah 6/96.
Pakistan (2nd inn) – 329 all out in 118.2 overs: Ahmed Shehzad 69, Azhar Ali 117, Younis Khan 40, Angelo Mathews 2/15, Dhammika Prasad 4/92, Dushmantha Chameera 3/53.
