Sri Lanka in control
Relentless Dimuth leads the way with an unbeaten 170
DUBAI: Opener Dimuth Karunaratne continued his demolition of Pakistani bowlers to take Sri Lanka to 355-4 at tea on the second day of the second and final Test in Dubai yesterday.
Karunaratne was unbeaten on a solid 170 for his seventh Test hundred, alongside Niroshan Dickwella on 47 not out, as Sri Lanka added 101 runs after resuming at overnight total of 254-3.
That gives Sri Lanka a strong position to force a series win after winning the first Test by 21 runs in Abu Dhabi.
Karunaratne, who resumed at 133, batted with full authority and added 146 for the fourth wicket with skipper Dinesh Chandimal who was the only batsman out in the day for 62.
Karunaratne, who has so far hit 18 boundaries and a six during his 491-minute knock, added another 73 runs for the unbroken fifth wicket stand with Dickwella.
Sri Lankan batting has put Pakistan under submission as their bowlers toiled hard on an unyielding Dubai stadium pitch.
To add to Pakistan’s woes pace spearhead Mohammad Amir walked off the field after a recurring shin injury sustained late on Friday.
He managed to bowl just three overs in the day.
Leg-spinner Yasir Shah is the pick of the Pakistan bowlers with 3-120.
Karunaratne fell seven runs short of a hundred in the first Test in Abu Dhabi where Sri Lanka won by 21 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.
”It’s satisfying to score a hundred,” said Karunaratne, who needs just 10 more to reach 3,000 Test runs.
“I missed that chance in Abu Dhabi. It was tough to bat early on, but once I had my eyes set in I batted with confidence.
”It was nice to have a good partnership with Chandimal and that has given us a good score which we need to build on tomorrow.”
Earlier, Pakistan took the second new ball after 82 overs but failed to claim any further wickets, with Amir walking off the field in the middle of his 17th over with an apparent injury.
Pakistan, who have never lost a Test series in the United Arab Emirates, also wasted both their reviews off the second new ball to cap a woeful day for them.
Leg-spinner Yasir Shah was the pick of bowlers with 2-90 while Amir returned figures of 1-59.
Karunaratne and opening partner Kaushal Silva (27) provided a solid platform for Sri Lanka with a 63-run stand before Pakistan hit back with three wickets in quick succession.— AFP