Sri Lanka opener Kaushal Silva frustrated Pakistan with an unbeaten 80
when the rain-hit first Test finally got underway on the scheduled
second day in Galle on Thursday.Veteran Kumar Sangakkara chipped in with
50 to leave the hosts on 178 for three at stumps after Pakistan captain
Misbah-ul Haq elected to field first on an easy-paced pitch.
After
inclement weather had washed out the entire first day's play on
Wednesday, just 64 overs were bowled on the second day after a wet
outfield delayed the start by two hours at the Galle International
Stadium.Left-handed Dimuth Karunaratne scored 21 in an opening
stand of 30 with Silva when he was dismissed by left-arm seamer Wahab
Riaz in the 13th over of the innings.
Karunaratne
attempted to pull a short ball, but only managed to edge a catch to
wicket-keeper Sarfraz Ahmed to provide the tourists a much-needed
breakthrough.Silva and Sangakkara teamed up to add 112 runs for
the second wicket, batting through the post-lunch session to take their
team to a comfortable 123 for one by tea.
Sangakkara,
Sri Lanka's leading run-getter who is expected to retire during the
home series against India in August, hit two boundaries and a six.The
prolific left-hander, who took a break from his English county
commitments with Surrey to play for his nation, began ominously by
driving his first delivery from Wahab to the mid-on fence.
But he fell soon after reaching his 52nd half-century when he edged a drive off Wahab to Younis Khan in the slip region.Pakistan could have removed Sangakkara when he was on 24, but Azhar Ali at short-leg spilled a sharp chance off leg-spinner Yasir Shah.The tourists struck again soon after as Lahiru Thirimanne, who scored eight, drove Mohammad Hafeez uppishly to mid-on where Zulfiqar Babar held the catch after juggling with the ball.
But he fell soon after reaching his 52nd half-century when he edged a drive off Wahab to Younis Khan in the slip region.Pakistan could have removed Sangakkara when he was on 24, but Azhar Ali at short-leg spilled a sharp chance off leg-spinner Yasir Shah.The tourists struck again soon after as Lahiru Thirimanne, who scored eight, drove Mohammad Hafeez uppishly to mid-on where Zulfiqar Babar held the catch after juggling with the ball.
Silva, looking comfortable against both
pace and spin, stepped closer to his second Test century. He has so far
hit 12 boundaries.
Wahab was the most
impressive bowler with two for 51, but those figures would have read
better if Karunaratne had not been caught off a no-ball in the bowler's
first over.Later in the same over, Wahab was warned by umpire Paul
Reiffel for running on the wicket on his follow through.Hafeez, who
picked up his 50th Test wicket, had figures of one for 24 from seven
overs.Rain has been forecast in the southern coastal town for all five
days of the match.
Sri Lanka and Pakistan are due to play three Tests, followed by five one-day internationals and two Twenty20 matches.
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