Sri Lankan opening batsman Sanath Jayasuriya smashed a record-breaking double century yesterday to set Pakistan a stiff target of 418 runs in the first cricket test.
Jayasuriya's whirlwind 253 off 348 balls -- the highest ever test knock by a Sri Lankan against Pakistan -- helped the tourists pile up 438 runs in its second innings.
Jayasuriya was the last man to be dismissed midway into the second session.
Pakistan was off to strong chase in reply to be 57 without loss at tea after 11 overs. Imran Farhat was unbeaten on 33 while Yasir Hameed was batting on 17.
Sri Lanka conceded a 21-run first innings lead after Pakistan made 264 in reply to the visitors' 243.
Pakistan's best ever successful run-chase in a test match came in 1994 when it made 315 for nine while chasing 314-run target against Australia at Karachi.
Jayasuriya, 35-year-old veteran of 93 test matches, hammered 33 fours and four big sixes in his strokeful, eight-hour, 10 minute innings on a which favors neither spinners or fast bowlers.
He unleashed a barrage of boundaries when the total was 359 for 8 after Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq decided to take the new ball.
Jayasuriya, 178 at lunch, sped his way to double century when he lifted paceman Shoaib Akhtar for a big six over square leg. He took 20 more runs in Akhtar's next over with four crisp cover boundaries as Sri Lanka scored 80 runs with the new ball in 68 balls.
When Jayasuriya moved to 231 he surpassed previous best Sri Lankan test score of 230 against Pakistan -- made by his teammate Kumar Sangakkara during the Asian test championship final at Lahore two years ago.
Dilhara Fernando was well protected by Jayasuriya and in an electrifying run-a-ball 102-run record-breaking stand the number 10 batsman could contribute just one run before he was run out at the total of 438 before Jayasuriya was trapped lbw by Danish Kaneria (4-117).
The partnership bettered Aravinda de Silva and Rumesh Ratnayake's 52-run ninth wicket record against Pakistan which was made at Iqbal Stadium in 1985-1986.
Earlier, Sri Lanka lost five wickets in the space of 28 runs in the first session. It was cruising well at 309 for three, but crashed to 337 for eight in just over one hour of morning's play.
Akhtar bowled an eight-over spell with a lively pace and denied Jayasuriya from scoring freely after Sri Lanka resumed at the overnight score of 285 for 3.
First innings century-maker Thilan Samaraweera added six more to his overnight score of 15 before he was run out when Jayasuriya declined to go for a third run. His dismissal ended a productive run-a-minute partnership of 93 runs.
Jehan Mubarak could not score and edged Akhtar to give wicketkeeper Moin Khan his third catch of the innings while Romesh Kaluwitharana lobbed an easy catch to substitute fielder Rana Naved-ul-Hasan.
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