The Hindu : Sport : First Test meanders to a tame draw

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Feb 26, 2009
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Sport

Sport

First Test meanders to a tame draw

Kamran Akmal rubs salt into Lanka’s wounds with an unbeaten century

— Photo: AFP

JOINING THE PARTY: Pakistan’s Kamran Akmal kisses the ground after reaching his century on the final day.

KARACHI: Pakistan captain Younis Khan missed the opportunity to challenge Brian Lara’s world record score of 400 and Sri Lanka held off an unlikely victory push by the host on Wednesday to force a draw in the first Test.

Younis was out for 313; Pakistan declared its first innings at 765 for six — a lead of 121 and also a record Pakistan total — an hour after lunch on the last day. Kamran Akmal remained unbeaten for a career-best 158.

On a batsmen-friendly wicket, there appeared little chance of a result, but Pakistan claimed some quick early wickets to raise hopes of a win.

Early trouble

At 45 for three, Sri Lanka looked vulnerable, but Kumar Sangakkara’s 65 held the innings together. Then Thilan Samaraweera and Prasanna Jayawardene negotiated the last eight overs to finish at 144 for five.

“The last couple of hours was a bit disappointing for us in batting but overall I am very happy with our performance especially after scoring a big total in the first innings,” said Mahela Jayawardene, who made 240 in the first innings, but only 22 in the second.

Pakistan’s previous highest Test score had come against England at The Oval when it scored 708 in 1987 and the mammoth total in this match also eclipsed the highest innings total in a Test in Pakistan — surpassing its own 699 for five declared against India in Lahore (1989).

With a draw always looming as the likely result, the main interest on the final day was how many runs Younis would get.

Resuming on 306, he was aiming to break the record individual score set by West Indies’s Lara and other records along the way.

Adds just seven runs

However, he could add only seven runs to his overnight score before he was bowled by fast bowler Dilhara Fernando.

“It was a good team effort and I am happy with the way we fought,” said Younis.

His monumental 12 hours 48 minutes innings began late on the second day. He hit 27 boundaries and four sixes during his composed and patient knock, facing 568 balls.

After his dismissal, Younis was congratulated by all the Sri Lankan players as he walked back to the dressing room.

Scoring at will

After Younis departed, Akmal and Yasir Arafat (50 not out) added 169 runs for an unfinished seventh wicket stand and scored at will on a placid National Stadium wicket which had come under severe criticism for being too beneficial to batsmen.

Akmal hit eight fours and five sixes and faced 184 balls. He surpassed his previous Test best of 154 made against England in Lahore in 2005. Arafat hit two fours and two sixes in his 129-ball innings.

Sri Lanka captain Jayawardene could have got both batsmen but Fernando dropped Akmal at long-off on 136 and just before the declaration, Vaas floored a chance off Arafat in the deep.

The Sri Lankan bowlers toiled for well over two-and-a-half days to get just six scalps.

Little assistance

World’s leading Test wicket-taker off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan (one for 172) bowled 65 overs in all and did not pick up any wicket on the final day. Unorthodox spinner Ajantha Mendis (one for 157) bowled 59 overs but could get little assistance from the wicket.

Fernando (two for 124) was the most successful Sri Lankan bowler as Jayawardene used nine bowlers in Pakistan’s first innings.

The second Test will be played in Lahore from March 1 to 5. — AP

SCOREBOARD

Sri Lanka — 1st innings: 644 for seven decl.

Pakistan — 1st innings: K. Manzoor c P. Jayawardene b Mendis 27, S. Butt c M. Jayawardene b Muralitharan 23, Younis Khan b Fernando 313, S. Malik (run out) 56, Misbah lbw b Fernando 42, Faisal lbw b M. Jayawardene 57, K. Akmal (not out) 158, Y. Arafat (not out) 50; Extras (b-5, lb-11, nb-18, w-5): 39; Total (for six wkts. decl. in 248.5 overs): 765.

Fall of wickets: 1-44, 2-78, 3-227, 4-357, 5-531, 6-596.

Sri Lanka bowling: Vaas 36-10-66-0, Fernando 39-2-124-2, Mendis 59-14-157-1, Muralitharan 65-14-172-1, Dilshan 19-3-82-0, Paranavitana 5-0-33-0, Sangakkara 10-0-34-0, M. Jayawardene 6.5-0-41-1, Warnapura 9-0-40-0.

Sri Lanka — 2nd innings: N. Paranavitana (run out) 9, M. Warnapura c Akmal b Gul 2, K. Sangakkara lbw b Kaneria 65, T. Dilshan c Iqbal b Gul 8, M. Jayawardene c Iqbal b Kaneria 22, T. Samaraweera (not out) 24, P. Jayawardene (not out) 7; Extras (nb-7): 7; Total (for five wkts. in 31 overs): 144.

Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-32, 3-45, 4-103, 5-120.

Pakistan bowling: Gul 9-1-41-2, Sohail 6-0-33-0, Arafat 6-0-32-0, Kaneria 9-1-35-2, Malik 1-0-3-0.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport