Print

Mail

wiki links

Malik secures draw for Pakistan with defiant Test century

A defiant maiden Test century from opener Shoaib Malik helped Pakistan secure a draw yesterday in the first cricket Test against Sri Lanka.

Chasing an improbable 458-run target on the fifth and final day, the visitors held out for 337 for four wickets at stumps.

Riding his luck after being dropped on 14 by wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara, and surviving a confident appeal for caught behind at 94, Malik amassed an unbeaten 148 off 369 balls including 21 fours and two sixes.

Malik and Faisal Iqbal shared 115 runs for the third wicket after the visitors had lost two wickets for 71 in pursuit of the massive target. The pair batted together for more than 50 overs, frustrating the home team bowlers. Iqbal was dismissed for 60, trapped LBW by seamer Ferveez Maharoof, after facing 161 balls and hitting six boundaries.

On Wednesday, Muralitharan grabbed two wickets to back up a brilliant 185 runs from Sangakkara to set Pakistan its daunting victory target.

After a positive start of 59 runs between openers Malik and Imran Farhat, Muralitharan struck, first inducing an edge off Farhat to Mahela Jayawardene at slips. No.3 batsman Younis Khan made eight runs before missing a back-cut against a sharp-turning offbreak from Muralitharan (3-94).

Sri Lanka declared its second innings shortly before tea on the fourth day having scored 448 for five, helped by powerful knocks by Sangakkara, Jayawardene (82), Upul Tharanga (72) and Thilan Samaraweera (64). Sri Lanka was dismissed for 185 in its first innings after being asked to bat first by Pakistan, who later crumbled to 176 conceding a nine-run lead.
This story has been viewed 1330 times.