Sri Lanka opener Oshada Fernando struck a maiden century to delay Pakistan’s victory quest after the home team’s top four all scored hundreds in the second Test in Karachi yesterday.
Set a daunting 476 runs to win, Sri Lanka were tottering at 97-5 before Oshada and Niroshan Dickwella halted the slide with a resolute 104-run stand for the sixth wicket, but the last three overs of the day saw Dickwella fall for 65 — bowled while attempting a reverse-sweep off spinner Haris Sohail — and Dilruwan Perera caught behind off Naseen Shah for five.
Sixteen-year-old Naseem had the best figures of 3-31.
Photo: AFP
At the close, Sri Lanka were 212-7 with Oshada (102 not out) at the crease and with the visitors needing an unlikely 264 runs for victory.
Pakistan need just three wickets today to win the series — their first at home since the 2009 attack on the Sri Lanka side resulted in international cricket being suspended in the country.
Pakistan earlier declared their second innings at lunch on 555-3 after Azhar returned to form with 118 and Babar Azam struck 100 not out.
It was only the second time in a Test innings that the top four all scored centuries after openers Abid Ali (174) and Shan Masood (135) grabbed theirs on Saturday.
India against Bangladesh in 2007 was the other occasion.
It was a dismal batting show by Sri Lanka on a National Stadium pitch where the home batsmen flourished.
Skipper Dimuth Karunaratne went for 16, Kusal Mendis for a duck and Angelo Matthews for 19 before tea.
Pace spearhead Mohammad Abbas had Karunaratne caught behind in the 10th over of the innings before Naseem had Mendis snapped up in the slips.
It became 70-3 when Mathews edged a short delivery from Shaheen Shah Afridi to wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan.
After tea, Naseem accounted for Dinesh Chandimal (2) and Yasir Shah dismissed Dhananjaya de Silva (0).
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