Lankans brave launch to force victory

Sri Lanka, already through to the March 12 final at Dhaka, needs another 325 runs to win this Test on the last day with all their second innings wickets intact.

Earlier, Wajahatullah Wasti stroked his second successive century before captain Wasim Akram declared at 314 for eight an hour after tea, giving Pakistan an overall lead of 384 runs.

Wasti became only the third Pakistani batsman to score centuries in each innings of a Test match. Hanif Mohammad first completed the feat against Englandat Dhaka during the 1961-62 season, while Javed Miandad scored two centuries against touring New Zealanders in the Pakistani city of Hyderabad in 1984-85.

“The wicket is so easy that I had made up my mind in the second innings to stay longer at the crease and (I thought) the runs will automatically come,” said the 24-year-old Wasti, who made 133 in the first innings of his second Test match.

“It’s nice to be bracketed with great Pakistan batsman Hanif Mohammad and now our coach Javed Miandad,” Wasti said after spending over seven hours at the crease for his unbeaten 121 runs which came off 303 balls and featured a dozen boundaries and a six.

A light drizzle delayed the start of the day for nearly one and a half hours before left-arm seamer Sajeewa de Silva struck twice ahead of lunch. Shahid Afridi, dropped four times last evening, added three more to his overnight 81 before he edged a catch to wicketkeeper Romesh Kaluwitharana.

Inzamamul Haq (4) continued his poor form and lasted for only threedeliveries before he was out leg before when he tried to pull de Silva.

Afridi and Wasti put on 156 runs for the first wicket, the best ever partnership by Pakistan against Sri Lanka in Test matches. Afridi struck 11 fours and a six during his 118-ball three hours innings.

Sri Lanka claimed another three wickets in the second session with left-arm spinner Niroshan Bandarathilake claiming the wickets of Imran Nazir (13) and Yousaf Youhanna (0), smartly stumped by Kaluwitharana.

Saeed Anwar (44) dominated the 66-run third wicket stand with Wasti before he was run out.

Akram accelerated the scoring rate after tea with two big sixes, however, he was bowled by Kalpage for 17. Khan too was run out by a direct throw from substitute Upul Chandana, and when Kalpage had Saqlain Mushtaq stumped for nine, Akram declared Pakistan’s second innings at 314 for eight.

Scoreboard

Pakistan (1st innings): 398

Sri Lanka (1st innings): 328

Pakistan (2nd innings; overnight 149-0): Wajahatullah Wasti not out121, Shahid Afridi c Kaluwitharana b de Silva 84, Inzamam-ul Haq lbw b de Silva 4, Saeed Anwar run out 45, Imran Nazir b Bandarathilake 13, Yousuf Youhanna st Kaluwitharana b Bandarathilake 0, Wasim Akram b Kalpage 17, Moin Khan run out 2, Saqlain Mushtaq st Kaluwitharana b Kalpage 9; Extras: (b3, lb7, nb9) 19. Total: (for 8 wkts decl., 96.5 overs) 314

Fall of wickets: 1-156, 2-161, 3-227, 4-250, 5-254, 6-288,7-296, 8-314

Bowling: Wickremasinghe 9-1-27-0 (2nb), Sajeewa de Silva 29-5-90-2 (6nb), Bandarathilake 25-12-54-2, Kalpage 20.5-3-92-2 (1nb), Hathurusinghe 13-2-41-0

Sri Lanka (2nd innings): Russel Arnold batting 13, Avishka Gunawardene batting 36; Extras: (lb9, nb2) 11. Total: (for no loss, 14 overs) 60

Bowling: Akram 5-0-25-0 (2nb), Akbar 3-0-15-0, Mushtaq 4-3-2-0, Nazir 2-0-9-0

Umpires: David Shepherd (England), Rudi Koertzen (SA); Match Referee: Cammie Smith (West Indies).