Abu Dhabi: For eight sessions, the Abu Dhabi wicket remained docile and when it responded, it spun like a cobra to turn the match on it’s head on Sunday. Sri Lanka lost wickets in a heap and will now have to battle to save the first Test against Pakistan on the final day on Monday at the Shaikh Zayed Stadium.
The drab Test sprang to life with Pakistan’s frontline spinner Yasir Shah claiming two wickets and part-time spinners Asad Shafiq and Haris Sohail bagging one each to leave the visitors reeling in their second innings at 69 for four in 40 overs. Kusal Mendis on 16 and nightwatchman Suranga Lakmal on 2 were at the crease and the lead just 66.
It all started after debutant Sohail grabbed his controversial selection opportunity with both hands and justified his selection with his maiden half-century on debut en route to a dominant 76 off 161 balls to give Pakistan a thin three-run first innings lead.
With a session to go, the jitters were triggered as soon as Sri Lanka were left shell-shocked by the wicket of Karunaratne, who had missed out on his century in the first innings by mere seven runs.
Karunaratne was given out caught at short leg though he had not edged the ball from Shah. It was a howler from umpire Nigel Llong — his fourth for the match.
Replays showed Karunaratne had rammed the bat on the turf and there was at least a six centimetre’s gap between bat and ball. The opener also should be blamed here as he too didn’t call for a review.
Sri Lanka vice-captain Lahiru Thirimanne disappointed again with a half-hearted poke at a delivery from Shafiq to edge one straight into the gloves of skipper Sarfraz Ahmad and, with Sohail getting Kaushal Silva (25) leg before, the visitors were suddenly in troubled waters.
The Sri Lankan captain and unbeaten centurion from first innings, Dinesh Chandimal, came in with yet another rescue act needed but his vigil lasted just 30 balls. He became Shah’s second victim and the bigger prize — out caught at slips to a brilliantly flighted delivery which turned enough to induce the edge.
Earlier, Sri Lanka bowlers also found greater success for their toil after Pakistan resumed their innings at 266 for four, still trailing by 153 runs. However, it took them two sessions to get the remaining six wickets. By lunch, Rangana Herath and Suranga Lakmal, with four scalps between them, gave Sri Lanka a chance to take a first-innings lead.
Having done all the hard work, the century was there for the taking for Azhar Ali. Against Herath, he had been particularly reluctant in stepping out and, when he did, he ended up paying the prize. Having added 11 to his overnight score of 74, Ali used his feet but his attempted flick to a slow dipping delivery from Herath was gobbled up by substitute fielder Sadeera Samarawickrama stationed at short mid-wicket who took an exceptional low catch.
Skipper Ahmad started off aggressively, with a lot of intent to breach Sri Lanka’s first innings score quickly. He was particularly hard on Dilruwan Perera and smashed him for a four and six off two successive deliveries before he played on to Lakmal, having raced to 18 off 21, thus exposing the Pakistan tail.
Mohammad Amir (4) got out leg before to Lakmal to a delivery he himself would have been proud of. The ball nipped back sharply off the turf and the decision stayed on the umpire’s call following a hoping-against-hope review from Amir. While all this was happening, Sohail was going about his business quietly and eschewing any risks. Then, on the last ball of the first session, Shah (8) fell prey to a tossed-up delivery from Herath and Pakistan were reduced to 340 for 8 — still trailing by 79.
A batting blitz by Hasan Ali (29 off 25 balls), in which he smacked three towering sixes off Herath, also proved very vital as Pakistan chipped away at the deficit. Herath did take revenge for that onslaught by getting Ali stumped and finished with a five-wicket haul.
The Pakistan think tank will be hugely pleased with the way Sohail made use of his opportunity and that has put the team in a position of strength. It was crisp battling from the southpaw, as if he had been on the world stage for a long time. His innings was the second highest score in Pakistan’s team total and his knock was laced with seven boundaries and two sixes.
Having surpassed Lanka’s total of 419, Sohail was the last man out, trying to hoick Nuwan Pradeep but ended up finding Lakmal at wide mid-on.
