Abu Dhabi: Sri Lanka’s veteran spinner Rangana Herath choked Pakistan in his spin web to help his team clinch a sensational 21-run win in a thrilling first Test at the Shaikh Zayed Cricket Stadium on Monday.
Herath took a major chunk of the wickets — 6 for 43 from 21.4 overs for a match haul of 11 and became the first spinner to take over 100-plus wickets against Pakistan. In the process, he also became the first left-arm spinner to reach 400 Test wickets as his side took a 1-0 lead in the two match series by the smallest-ever victory margins against Pakistan. Herath was equally supported from the other end by Dilruwan Perera, who bagged three for 46 from 18 overs.
A target of 136 for a win looked modest, yet was tricky on a fifth day wicket assisting spin in abundance. It would need a lot of character from the relatively inexperienced Pakistan batting line to get to the total. The cat was among the pigeons as soon as Pakistan lost two quick wickets and were reduced to 7 for two.
Herath had always been Pakistan’s nemesis and he immediately spewed venom, getting opener Sami Aslam to edge one to the slips. The most experienced batsman Azhar Ali was in and out in a flash. Medium-pacer Suranga Lakmal squared him up and the edge ended straight into the gloves of stumper Niroshan Dickwella. Opener Shah Masood and Babar Azam fell to off-spinner Perera’s guile while Asad Shafiq (20), the only one to reach double digits till then, was Herath’s second victim and Pakistan was lying flat on the mat, gasping for breath, reduced to 36 for 5.
The last time Sri Lanka had successfully defended a total less than 200 against Pakistan was in 2009 in Galle (Pakistan shot out for 117 in chasing 168) and memories of that match was looming large.
It was now left to the last recognised pair of skipper Sarfraz Ahmad and debutant Haris Sohail, who scored a crucial 76 in the first innings, to get the team out from the burial.
The duo survived till tea and took the side to 67 for five, but having added another 11 more to the total, a sudden rush of blood from skipper Ahmad again put Pakistan off track. Stumped by Dickwella for 19 off Herath and the tail was exposed to face the music. With Sohail’s innings of great character and defiance also ending at 34, leg before wicket to Perera, the end was imminent.
Earlier, having handed four lethal blows in the final session of the fourth day, Pakistan had sniffed the chance to steal an unlikely win. The wicket of another frontline batsman in Kusal Mendis, in the third over of the day, was the best way to start tightening the noose.
Mohammad Abbas had been a revelation so far on his tour of UAE and he once again produced a pacer’s dream delivery — the ball jagging back smashing on to the back pad and Mendis was rooted to the crease. Nightwatchman Lakmal too didn’t last long with Abbas having drawn the former to go for a hook and finding Babar Azam at mid-wicket. Lanka were reduced to 86 for 6.
Mohammad Amir’s performance had been way below par, but knowing his class, he had to come good at some stage — especially when so much positive things were happening all around. For the first time in the match, Amir looked his self — the line, length and rhythm coming good, but he was still unlucky to go wicketless.
