Arab Times

Pakistan’s Shah double leaves Sri Lanka in trouble

Lanka lead Pak by 66 runs with 6 second-inning wickets remaining Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Scoreboard

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ABU DHABI, Oct 1, (AFP): Pakistan leg-spinner Yasir Shah grabbed the key wicket of Dinesh Chandimal to leave Sri Lanka fighting to avoid defeat after the fourth day of the first Test in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.

The prolific wicket-taker took 2-25 as Sri Lanka struggled to 69-4, needing a rearguard action to save the Test.

Pakistan will be expecting to push for victory in the opening match of a two-Test series on the fifth and final day.

It was tough to negotiate spin on a fourth-day Sheikh Zayed Stadium pitch, but despite a 32nd Test fivewicket haul for veteran Sri Lankan spinner Rangana Herath, Pakistan posted 422 to take a slender three-run lead.

Sri Lanka had made 419 in their first innings.

At the close, Kusal Mendis was batting on 16, with nightwatch­man Suranga Lakmal on two, after a day of fluctuatin­g fortunes.

Herath’s 5-93 in 40 overs were well foiled by a brilliant 76 by Test debutant Haris Sohail, as initially it looked as though Sri Lanka would take a firstinnin­gs lead.

Pakistan then hit back in the second innings through Shah, who first had opener Dimuth Karunaratn­e caught for 10 and then dismissed first-innings centurion Chandimal, caught at slip, for seven.

Sohail followed his responsibl­e knock by claiming Kaushal Silva’s wicket, whom he trapped leg before for 25, while part-timer Asad Shafiq had Lahiru Thirimanne for seven.

The 28-year-old Sohail’s impressive Test bow has come despite a careerthre­atening knee injury which required surgery in 2015.

“The last two years were tough for me as there was a lot of talk on my injury,” he said. “But thankfully I am here and played a responsibl­e knock. I was under pressure because we needed to take the lead, so I had to play a responsibl­e knock which I did.”

Earlier in the day, Pakistan too were struggling at 316-6 and were in danger

Yasir Shah (right), of Pakistan plays a shot during the fourth day of the first Test cricket match between Sri Lanka and Pakistan at Sheikh Zayed

Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Oct 1. (AFP)

of conceding a healthy lead with Herath using all his experience and guile.

The 39-year-old left-arm spinner, who now has 394 wickets in 84 Tests, gave his team the much-needed wicket of a resolute Azhar Ali, luring him into an uppish drive which was brilliantl­y caught at short mid-wicket by a diving Mendis.

Azhar’s defiant knock of 85 lasted more than five hours and included four boundaries, but with his dismissal Pakistan’s hopes of building a lead looked slim.

Indian cricket team pose with the trophy after winning the fifth one-day internatio­nal cricket match against Australia

at the Vidarbha Cricket Associatio­n Stadium in Nagpur on Oct 1. (AFP)

 ?? ABU DHABI, Oct 1, (AFP): Scoreboard at the close of the fourth day of the first Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka played at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Saturday:
1st innings 419 (D. Chandimal 155 not out, D. Karunaratn­e 93, N. Dickwella 83; Ab ??
ABU DHABI, Oct 1, (AFP): Scoreboard at the close of the fourth day of the first Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka played at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Saturday: 1st innings 419 (D. Chandimal 155 not out, D. Karunaratn­e 93, N. Dickwella 83; Ab
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