Veteran Kumar Sangakkara hit a 200-plus score for the 10th time to light up the fourth day’s play in the first Test between hosts Sri Lanka and Pakistan in Galle on Saturday.
The prolific left-hander made 221 as Sri Lanka declared their first innings at 533-9 shortly before stumps for a lead of 82 runs over Pakistan’s 451 total.
Left-arm spinner Rangana Herath had opener Khurram Manzoor caught behind for three to reduce the tourists to 4-1 in six overs before the close.
Photo: AFP
Ahmed Shehzad was on one and nightwatchman Saeed Ajmal had yet to score when stumps were drawn, leaving Pakistan the task of batting out the final day to draw the opener of the two-match series.
Sangakkara, second only to Don Bradman’s tally of 12 scores of more than 200, used the easy-paced wicket to toy with Pakistan’s attack for nearly 12 hours.
He fell in the post-tea session, stumped off spinner Abdur Rehman trying to pick up the scoring rate in the company of tailenders.
Pakistan’s frontline off-spinner Ajmal, who went wicketless for 46 overs, grabbed five on either side of tea to finish with expensive figures of five for 166 from 59.1 overs.
Pakistan paid heavily for letting Sangakkara escape off the first ball of the day when Rehman spilled a chance at point off left-arm seamer Junaid Khan. Junaid struck three deliveries as Mahela Jayawardene was adjudged leg-before-wicket by the Decision Review System.
Jaywardene, who is due to quit Test cricket after the series ends, made 59 in a third-wicket stand of 113 with Sangakkara.
Skipper Angelo Mathews hit 91 in a fourth-wicket stand of 181 with Sangakkara before being caught in the slips off Ajmal just before tea.
The final Test will be played in Colombo from Thursday.
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