Silva lining to Lankan upsurge

The reputed batsman from Colombo recorded his 18th hundred in his 80th Test, his eighth against Pakistan. De Silva’s innings lasted 376 minutes and 276 balls, punctuated by 12 boundaries.

Resuming at 58-2, Sri Lanka lost Russel Arnold for 26 when he flicked a Waqar Younis delivery into wicketkeeper Moin Khan’s hands.

Mahela Jayawardene during his 42-run innings helped de Silva add 48 for the fourth wicket. Jayawardene was ruled run out by television umpire after he was sent back and failed to regain the crease.

To the home team’s misery, pacer Wasim Akram was ruled out of the match due to groin injury after bowling only 13 deliveries yesterday.

Ranatunga benefited from a dropped chance by keeper Moin Khan. He snicked his third ball off Razzak but Khan failed to hold on to an easy catch.

Both veteran batsmen who did not feature on their team’s Zimbabwe tour and their rout of Pakistan in the one-day series, defied scorching sun and lacklustre Pakistan attack.

De Silva completed his century in 354 minutes, hitting 11 fours while Ranatunga’s 49 had four boundaries.

Sri Lanka did not lose a wicket in the second session adding 76 runs with De Silva playing his characteristic shots off the leg and straight drives.

They posted the 100 of the stand in 164 minutes. Their 129 is the new Sri Lankan record against Pakistan beating the 125-run stand Ranatunga and Hashan Tillekeratne scored in the Peshawar Test in 1995-96.

Pakistan hit back after taking the second new ball in the 90th over when Razzak bowled Ranatunga. The very next ball Razzak trapped Romesh Kaluwitharana for nought.

SCOREBOARD :

Pakistan (1st innings): 182

Sri Lanka (1st innings; overnight 58-2): M Atapattu c Wasti b Waqar 8, S Jayasuria c Moin b Waqar 17, R Arnold c Moin b Younis 26, A de Silva lbw b Saqlain 112, M Jayawardena run out (Younis Khan) 42, A Ranatunga b Razzak 49, R Kaluwitharana lbw b Abdul Razzak 0, C Vaas not out 21, P Wickremasinghe c sub (Afridi) b Saqlain 0, N Zoysa not out 6; Extras: (lb7 nb2) 9. Total (for eight wickets; in 104 overs) 290
Fall of wickets: 1-9, 2-38, 3-69, 4-117, 5-246, 6-246, 7-280, 8-280
To bat: M Muralitharan.
Bowling: Wasim Akram 2.1-0-8-0, Waqar Younis 23-3-71-3, Abdul Razzak 26.5-4-90-2 (1nb), Saqlain Mushtaq 34-9-78-2 (1nb), Aamir Sohail 17-4-36-0, Wajahatullah Wasti 1-1-0-0.