Inzamam falls to jinx after rescue job

Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, who guided his team to a 57-run win in Peshawar with a 10-wicket haul, was again the pick of tourists’ bowling with 4-89, taking his series tally to 22 wickets. Put into batting after losing the toss, Pakistan had a steady start of 38 through Afridi and Mohammed Naveed in the first hour. Sri Lanka, already 2-0 up and with series in their pocket, made one change from the second Test’s line-up, experienced batsman Aravinda de Silva making way for Indika de Saram.

Pakistan had a new captain in Moin Khan and a new coach in Javed Miandad and with five changes from the second Test, the team had a completely new look. Khan missed the second Test due to flu and knee problem.

Ijaz Ahmed, Mohammad Akram, Irfan Fazil and Mohammad Naveed were brought in. Fazil, a 19-year-old pacer, made his Test debut. Abdur Razzak, Aamir Sohail, Arshad Khan and Atiq-uz Zaman were excluded from the team that played the second Test. The dismal showing of the home team, mixed with injuries to key players took the tally of players to 19 in the series.

Pakistan lost Mohammed Naveed with the third ball after drinks when he played a Ravindra Pushpakumara delivery onto his stumps after making five. Afridi played some aggressive shots, reaching his second 50 in Test cricket off 63 balls in 94 minutes hitting 10 fours. Chaminda Vaas provided the second breakthrough for the visitors when he trapped Ahmed leg-before wicket on a full pitched delivery. Ahmed, recalled after being ignored for the One-day series and the first two Tests against Sri Lanka, could make only seven.

Pakistan were 95-2 at lunch. Muralitharan chipped in with two wickets after lunch, first sending Afridi for 74 when he failed to keep down a sweep and was well caught at fine-leg by Pramodya Wickremasinghe. Afridi’s innings lasted 92 balls and during his 136-minute stay at the crease, he hit 13 boundaries and a six off Muralitharan.

The Sri Lankan off-spinner forced Yousuf Youhanna to play an uppish drive and had him caught at mid-wicket for seven. Younis Khan, who made a century on his debut in the first Test, was shaky and took 17 balls to get off the mark. He fell after making seven, trapped by Vaas with Pakistan on 152. At the stroke of tea, Pakistan lost skipper Moin Khan for six, caught in the covers off Wickremasinghe.

Haq added 83 with Waqar Younis (16) and Shoaib Akhtar (26), driving Muralitharan forcefully during his innings. He reached his 25th half century in 161 minutes, hitting seven fours before failing to regain his crease after being sent back by Akhtar, attempting a double to deep mid-on. (AFP)

SCOREBOARD

Pakistan (1st innings):M Naveed b Pushpakumara 5, S Afridi c Wickremasinghe b Muralitharan 74, I Ahmed lbw Vaas 7, I Haq run out 86, Y Youhanna c Wickremasinghe b Muralitharan 7, Y Khan lbw Vaas 7, M Khan c de Saram b Wickremasinghe 6, W Younis c Dilshan b Muralitharan 16, S Akhtar c Pushpakumara b Muralitharan 26, I Fazil not out 1, M Akram c Atapattu b Jayasuriya 0; Extras: (lb2, nb19) 21. Total: (all out in 85.5 overs) 256

Fall of wickets: 1-38, 2-80, 3-111, 4-135, 5-152, 6-164, 7-197, 8-247, 9-255

Bowling: Chaminda Vaas 18-4-49-2, Ravindra Pushpakumara 16-4-37-1, Pramodya Wickremasinghe 13-2-64-1, Muttiah Muralitharan 32-11-89-4, Sanath Jayasuriya 6.5-2-15-1

Sri Lanka (1st innings): M Atapattu batting 1, S Jayasuriya batting 6; Extras: (nb3) 3. Total (for no wicket) 10

Bowling: Waqar Younis 1-1-0-0, Shoaib Akhtar 1-0-10-0.