Lively Sri Lankans win series

Sri Lanka, now, have won nine of their last 19 Tests, while Pakistan lost their fifth Test in a row after being defeated 3-0 by Australia in November last year.

Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan finished with six for 71 and a total 10 wickets in the match making him the Man-of-the-Match.

The home team resumed the final morning at 222-8 with all their hopes resting on captain Saeed Anwar but within nine minutes all was lost.

Arshad Khan survived the unfinished over in which Muralitharan had dismissed Yousuf Youhanna and Waqar Younis on Day Four.

Anwar then hit a straight boundary off the first ball ofthe second over before holing out in the covers off Chaminda Vaas after making 36.

Last man Shoaib Akhtar also hit Vaas for a four but Muralitharan wrapped up the match in the next over by dismissing Arshad Khan, caught at silly mid-off by Mahela Jayawardene for 5.

Jayasuriya led Sri Lanka to victory against Australia and Zimbabwe in Test series last year.

“I think Muralitharan’s bowling was the turning point in the match, in fact in the series,” Jayasuriya said.

Pakistan captain Anwar also singled out Muralitharan. “Our strength is fast bowling but here we got a spinning track and we came across a world class spinner in Muralitharan,” he admitted.

Muralitharan finished with match figures of 10-148, his third 10-wicket haul in Test cricket.

Pakistan have now lost their three last home series and with coach Intikhab Alam threatening to resign after being replaced and captain Anwar not sure about his post, the team looks in disarray.

Alam has said he will resign after the Test here.

Injuries to key bowlers Wasim Akram, who missed this Test, and wicketkeeper Moin Khan further compounded to Pakistan’s problems.

SCOREBOARD

Sri Lanka (1st innings): 268
Pakistan (1st innings) 199

Sri Lanka (2nd innings) 224
Pakistan (2nd innings): S Anwar c Wickremasinghe b Vaas 36, S Afridi st. Kaluwitharana b Muralitharan 31, I Haq c Jayawardene b Muralitharan 9, A Sohail c Dilshan b Jayasuriya 0, Y Youhanna lbw b Muralitharan 88, Y Khan c Arnold b Vaas 6, A Razzaq lbw b Muralitharan 5, A Zaman b Vaas 25, W Younis c Jayawardene b Muralitharan 0, A Khan c Jayawardene b Muralitharan 5, S Akhtar (not out) 4, Extras: (b9, lb6, nb12) 27.
Total: (in 70.1 overs) 236
Fall of Wickets: 1-59, 2-77, 3-82, 4-103, 5-145, 6-208, 7-222, 8-222, 9-226.

Bowling: Vaas 16-3-69-3, Pushpakumara 10-1-31-0, Wickremasinghe 12-5-22-0, Muralitharan 27.1-4-71-6, Jayasuriya 5-1-28-1.

Result: Sri Lanka won by 57 runs