Sri Lanka owed it to their bowlers for taking the opening day honors against Pakistan in the second Test in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, yesterday.
A three-pronged pace and one-man spin attack helped Sri Lanka bowl out Pakistan for just 165 after Angelo Mathews won the toss and opted to bowl on a seaming pitch.
Paceman Nuwan Pradeep finished with a career best three for 62, while spinner Rangan Herath took three for 26. Fast bowlers Shaminda Eranga, two for 25, and Suranga Lakmal, two for 45, were also useful in the second session.
Photo: AFP
By the close Sri Lanka had knocked off 57 runs for the loss of opener Dimuth Karunaratne, out leg before wicket to Junaid Khan for 32.
Kaushal Silva and Kumar Sangakkara were each on 12 as Sri Lanka trailed Pakistan by 108 runs.
Initially it looked as if Sri Lanka had miscalculated in bowling first as Ahmed Shehzad, trapped leg before wicket by Pradeep in the 10th over for 3, was the only man out by lunch, but five wickets fell for 71 runs as Pakistan slumped from 57-1 to 128-6 at tea. Opener Khurram Manzoor top-scored with 73.
The Sri Lanka pacemen had little success in the first session and their hard work was also spoiled by sloppy fielding.
Mathews floored Shehzad in the slips off Lakmal with the batsman still to get off the mark, but the lapse did not prove costly.
Mahela Jayawardene dropped Hafeez off the first ball he faced from Pradeep, but the paceman had the last laugh when he bowled Hafeez through the gate soon after lunch.
Pakistan had pinned their hopes on Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq, but they lost their final eight wickets for 58 runs.
Eranga had the prized wickets of Younis and Misbah in the space of seven balls.
Younis, who made 13, tried to cut a wide delivery, while Misbah was squared up on a moving delivery on 1 — both caught behind.
It was a rare failure for Misbah who was Pakistan’s best batsman in the Tests and one-day internationals last year.
Lakmal then had Manzoor caught behind off a rash shot and Asad Shafiq off a miscued drive for 6.
Manzoor hit seven fours and a six during his 136-ball knock, but failed to turn it into a big score and halt the slide.
Pradeep, who had three wickets in his previous four Tests, took the scalp of Sarfraz Ahmed after tea for 7 to claim his best figures in Tests.
Herath polished off the tail to wrap Pakistan’s innings.
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