St Lucia, July 06: A fiery mid-afternoon spell from Mohammad Aamer and stable, stock bowling from Younis Khan (yes, Younis Khan) unhinged Sri Lanka’s middle-order and left them struggling to set Pakistan a fighting target on a pitch that has assisted fast bowlers more than spinners.
While Aamer has been the revelation of this match, Younis proved to be the wild card yet again after breaking two vital partnerships in the first innings.
Pakistan started both sessions on a high – Umar Gul taking a wicket in the first over of the day, and Mohammad Aamer taking three post-lunch – but were thwarted for some time by two partnerships, both ended by Younis. Aamer’s spell was the highlight, with swing both ways at good pace, and featuring the big wickets of Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jaywardene. His third victim was Tharanga Paranavitana, the first-innings half-centurion, who fell for 49 this time.
The action started late – after a 30-minute rain delay – but with immediate returns. Malinda Warnapura had a poor effort again, poking at the second delivery of the day, without moving his feet.
Nightwatchman Rangana Herath, though, proceeded to frustrate them almost till lunch, playing and missing regularly as is the nightwatchman’s wont. It didn’t help that Gul lost his rhythm fairly early, bowling four no-balls in a three-over spell. Paranavitana cashed in on that blip, and punished every poor delivery wholesomely. Those three overs went for 22, and Sri Lanka were on their way.
The fifth over of the day was indicative of how the session went. Paranavitana shouldered arms to a widish delivery from Gul that jagged back in and just cleared the stumps. He hadn’t left the ball on the bounce, his look said as much. The next ball, though, was a gift on the pads, which was deposited duly to the fine-leg boundary. Younis put a stop on the flow of runs, through Abdur Rauf and himself. Both were unlucky that they didn’t get Herath in the next nine overs. A plumb lbw off Rauf was missed by the umpire, and Younis kept beating him outside the off stump.
With two overs to go for lunch, Younis went for the pads as opposed to the outside edge, and ended the frustrating 68-run stand. Sri Lanka went in to lunch with the score effectively on 20 for 2. Paranavitana, who had been kept off strike for most of the last hour had moved to 42 in only 50 deliveries.
Post lunch, though, Aamer made the ball sing – and it wasn’t music to the batsmen’s ears. In the fourth over after the interval, Paranavitana got one that moved away from him and took the edge. Jayawardene, for the second time, got a good delivery, in Aamer’s next over. The ball pitched in front of stumps, and moved away sharply, kissing the hanging bat on the way. In his next over, Sangakkara edged another swinging delivery, and 86 for 2 had become 101 for 5, a lead of just 51 runs.
Thilan Samaraweera counterattacked, so did Tillakaratne Dilshan. A flurry of boundaries, mostly drives down the ground, eased the slip cordon, and brought a mid-off in. In no time the two added 37 runs, but the captain returned to put the lid on. He didn’t get as much movement as in the first spell, but went for only two in his two overs. Then he changed ends, and in his second over of the new spell got Dilshan. It was not the best of shots, though, chasing a wide and full delivery and guiding it to second slip.
For good measure Saeed Ajmal, who had Dilshan dropped off his bowling earlier, came back and got Samaraweera with a doosra. The eight-wicket partnership between Angelo Mathews and Nuwan Kulasekara had added by 26 by tea.
—–Agencies