Wahab strikes but SL in command of second Test

By Agencies

October 09, 2017

DUBAI: Paceman Wahab Riaz took three wickets in a fiery spell but Sri Lanka were still in the driving seat after the third day of the second day-night Test in Dubai on Sunday.

Riaz grabbed 3-10 to derail Sri Lanka’s second innings — the visitors were 34-5 at close. Sri Lanka have an overall lead of 254 runs with five wickets intact, but they have lost matches from stronger positions in the past three years, however.

Riaz dismissed Sri Lankan skipper Dinesh Chandimal leg before for nought in the last over before close to give Pakistan a faint hope of upsetting the tables, but it will be an uphill task for their faltering batsmen to improve in the second innings.

Pakistan were dismissed for 262 in their first innings, conceding a big 220-run lead following Sri Lanka’s first innings 482.It was paceman Mohammad Abbas who started the slide, having opener Kaushal Silva caught behind for three before Riaz dismissed first innings centurion Dimuth Karunaratne for seven.

He then had debutant Sadeera Samarawickrama out for 13 in a hostile spell of 3.3 overs. Leg-spinner Yasir Shah had night-watch-man Suranga Lakmal out for one as Pakistan started to stage a fight-back.

At close, Kusal Mendis was unbeaten on eight.Sri Lankan spinners Dilruwan Perera (3-72) and Rangana Herath (3-84) had bundled Pakistan out just after dinner to put Sri Lanka in sight of a series win.

They won the first Test by 21 runs in Abu Dhabi. Only Azhar Ali (59) and Haris Sohail (56) offered some resistance as the Pakistani batsmen once again flopped on a batting-friendly Dubai Stadium pitch, losing their last six wickets for 82 runs.

Pakistan were 21 runs short of the follow-on mark but Sri Lanka did not enforce it.Ali and Haris lifted Pakistan from a precarious 109-4 during a battling fifth-wicket stand of 71, but once Ali was gone the innings unfolded.

Herath trapped Ali leg-before and reviewed it to overturn a not-out decision, triggering the collapse. Ali hit six boundaries in his patient knock.Haris attempted to score quickly, with only the tail for company now, but he soon lost Mohammad Amir lbw to Herath, and before long, was trapped in front of the stumps himself, by Dilruwan Perera. But he had, by that stage, made 56, his second half-century in three Test innings so far. He smashed four boundaries and two sixes.

Sri Lanka took the second new ball after 85 overs and the seamers promptly claimed the remaining wickets. Wahab Riaz was caught at short leg, after a ball from Gamage brushed glove, then popped up off his thigh pad. Yasir Shah, who had thumped two sixes, was bowled by Lakmal attempting to hit a third.

After Pakistan resumed at 51-0, paceman Lahiru Gamage took his first wicket in Test cricket, bowling Shan Masood through the gate after the opener had made 16.Sami Aslam was trapped leg before by Perera for 39 to leave Pakistan two down with 65 runs on the board.

Asad Shafiq fell for 12 when he edged Lakmal to slip to continue his wretched form in the series. Babar Azam made eight.Lakmal finished with 2-41, while Gamage had figures of 2-38.

Sri Lanka won toss

Sri Lanka 1st Innings 482 all-out (F Karunaratne 196; Yasir Shah 6-184)

Pakistan 1st Innings 262 all-out (Azhar Ali 59; M Perera 3-72)

Sri Lanka 2nd Innings

F D M Karunaratne b Wahab 7

J K Silva c Sarfraz b Abbas 3

S Samarawickrama c Sarfraz b Wahab 13

B K G Mendis not out 8

R A S Lakmal lbw b Yasir 1

*L D Chandimal lbw b Wahab 0

Extras (lb 1, nb 1) 2

Total (5 wickets; 14.3 Overs) 34