Sri Lanka off-spinner Tharindu Kaushal scythed through Pakistan’s batting order to pick up his first five-wicket haul as the visitors were bundled out for 138 on the opening day of the second Test in Colombo yesterday.
Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq was left to rue his decision to bat after winning the toss as Sri Lanka’s bowlers extracted enough movement from the pitch to dismiss their opponents in two sessions.
In reply, the hosts made a watchful start and reached stumps on 70-1 after losing opener Dimuth Karunaratne (28). Kaushal Silva (21) and Kumar Sangakkara (18) were at the crease.
Photo: AP
Pakistan’s pace spearhead Wahab Riaz suffered a blow on his bowling hand while batting which weakened the attack as the left-arm paceman was experiencing pain trying to hold the ball.
Kaushal, playing only his second Test, came in as a replacement for the injured Dilruwan Perera and took all his wickets in the second session after fast bowler Dhammika Prasad picked up the first three.
Opener Mohammad Hafeez (42), who was hit on the back of his helmet by debutant fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera, was the highest scorer for the visitors.
An unchanged Pakistan lost Ahmed Shehzad (1) in the third over of the morning when the right-hander edged Prasad to first slip, where Kumar Sangakkara completed a sharp catch.
Hafeez and Azhar Ali (26) shared the only meaningful partnership of 46 for the second wicket.
Younus Khan, playing his 100th Test, was lucky to survive a review by Mathews off his own bowling, but fell immediately after lunch to give Prasad his third scalp.
Pakistan’s hopes then rested on Misbah (7), but the 41-year-old was run out after a misunderstanding with Sarfraz Ahmed (14).
Such was Kaushal’s impact on the innings that the hosts did not need main spinner Rangana Herath to bowl as the 22-year-old rose to the occasion to take five for 42.
Freddie Freeman homered and drove in four runs, Shohei Ohtani also went deep and Roki Sasaki earned his first major league win as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves 10-3 on Saturday night for their seventh straight victory. The Dodgers have won the first two games of the series to improve to 5-0 against Atlanta this year. Los Angeles’ three-game sweep at home early in the season left the Braves 0-7. Sasaki allowed three runs and six hits over five innings. The 23-year-old right-hander gave up a home run to Ozzie Albies, but received plenty of offensive support in his
INTER AWAIT: Superb saves by PSG ’keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma inspired the victory, as Arsenal were punished for misses, including one by Bukayo Saka Arsenal on Wednesday fell short on the big stage again as their painful UEFA Champions League semi-final exit against Paris Saint-Germain left Mikel Arteta to rue his club’s failure to provide him with enough attacking options. Arteta’s side were unable to reach the Champions League final for the first time in 19 years as PSG clinched a tense 2-1 win at Parc des Princes. Trailing 1-0 from last week’s first leg in London, the Gunners made a blistering start to the second leg, but could not convert their chances as Gianluigi Donnarumma’s superb saves inspired PSG’s 3-1 aggregate victory. Arsenal were punished for
Bayern Munich on Sunday were crowned German champions for the 34th time, giving striker Harry Kane his first major trophy, after second-placed Bayer 04 Leverkusen drew 2-2 at SC Freiburg. Bayern’s 3-3 draw at RB Leipzig on Saturday, when the Bavarians came from two goals down to take the lead before conceding a stoppage-time equalizer, meant defending Bundesliga champions Leverkusen needed to win at Freiburg to delay the title party. Leverkusen were two goals down before scoring twice in the final 10 minutes, but Xabi Alonso’s side could not find a third, as Bayern reclaimed the title at the first attempt after
THRILLER: Raphinha gave Barca a 3-2 lead with two minutes remaining of regular time, but Francesco Acerbi equalized the game in the second minute of added time Davide Frattesi on Tuesday fired Inter into the UEFA Champions League final with an extra-time winner that gave the Italians a stunning 4-3 triumph over Barcelona, 7-6 on aggregate. Italy midfielder Frattesi won a tie for the ages under a downpour in Milan when he lashed home in the 99th minute, sending a packed and rocking San Siro wild with joy. Simone Inzaghi’s team will face either Arsenal or Paris Saint-Germain at the end of this month in Munich, Germany, where they would feel they have a great chance to be crowned kings of Europe for a fourth time after
RSS