Sri Lanka made a steady start to their second innings after bundling out Pakistan for 231 in the first innings in the morning session of Day 3 of the second Test, at the Galle International Stadium on Tuesday. Pakistan’s lower order resisted the Sri Lankan bowlers for more than an hour and a half for the last three wickets but could add only 40 runs to their overnight total.
Resuming the day on 191 for 7, Pakistan started on a steady note with Yasir Shah and Hasan Ali rotating the strike frequently through their largely dead-batted approach. Hasan broke his natural character once when he danced down the track against Prabath Jayasuriya and swiped him across the line for a six. However, that was only a one-off as the duo stood for nearly an hour and a half at the crease, even if not always impressively.
There were several close leg-before shouts that went their way, but Sri Lanka got their first breakthrough soon after taking the second new ball. Hasan , yet again, trying to swipe Jayasuriya across the line got an inside edge on to the stumps, ending his innings on 21, and the partnership on 30.
Nauman Ali couldn’t make the most of the dropped opportunity when he was put down by Kusal Mendis on 0. He added only one more run before Ramesh Mendis induced an edge that was taken safely by the wicketkeeper in the next over. Mendis bagged his third Test fifer when he ended Yasir Shah’s 97-ball vigil in the next over trapping the batter leg-before. With the on-field umpire ruling him out, even the review couldn’t save him as Pakistan conceded a 147-run lead.
With Dimuth Karunaratne out of the field for most parts of Pakistan’s batting innings, the Sri Lankan captain wasn’t allowed to open the innings. Niroshan Dickwella, who came out to open in his absence helped the hosts to a quickfire start in the second innings, helping the side to 22 for no loss at Lunch, in the company of Oshada Fernando – both of whom stroked a boundary each in barely 20 minutes of play.
Brief Scores : Sri Lanka 378 (Dinesh Chandimal 80, Niroshan Dickwella 51; Naseem Shah 3-58, Yasir Shah 3-83) & 22 for no loss lead Pakistan 231 (Agha Salman 62, Imam ul Haq 32; Ramesh Mendis 5-47, Prabath jayasuriya 3-80) by 169 runs
