Colombo, july 14: A maiden century from debutant opener Fawad Alam on Monday helped Pakistan steal the momentum to lead by 28 runs in the second test against Sri Lanka.
Pakistan overhauled a 150-run, first-innings deficit and finished the second day on 178-1 at P. Sara Oval.
Alam was on 102 from 153 balls, including six boundaries and a six. He pulled left-arm spinner Rangana Herath for a six and the next ball pushed the ball to third-man for a couple to reach his 100.
“I can’t explain how I feel but I am absolutely delighted,” Alam said.
The left-hander’s innings included an 85-run opening stand with Khurram Manzoor and an unbroken 93-run partnership with captain Younis Khan, who was 35 not out.
“I am glad that for him and for Pakistan his hundred has come at the right time. I am very pleased the way he has performed,” coach Intikhab Alam said.
Khan survived a confident lbw appeal on 4 that was turned down by Australian umpire Daryl Harper.
Pakistan started the second day with little hope having conceded the hosts a healthy 74-run lead in the first innings and still seven wickets to be taken.
However, seamer Umar Gul and spinner Saeed Ajmal took four wickets apiece to restrict Sri Lanka’s first innings to 240,removing their last seven first-innings wickets for 76 runs.
Later, Alam and Manzoor built on the platform created by the bowlers before Herath intervened to dismiss Manzoor for 38 through a catch to wicketkeeper Tillakaratne Dilshan.
Herath finished the day with 1-53.
Pakistan was all out on the opening day for a paltry 90 runs, its lowest-ever total in test matches between the two countries.
Coach Alam was delighted at the turnaround in the match.
“They showed a lot of character and courage to come back. There is a long way to go. We need to put another 300 runs on the board,” he said.
Sri Lanka resumed the second day at 164-3 and appeared destined for a bigger lead but lost the advantage as Pakistani bowlers struck regularly.
The first break came in the form of a run out when overnight batsman Thilan Samaraweera was caught short of his crease for 21 with the total on 177.
Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara missed out on a century when he was brilliantly bowled between bat and pad by Gul for 87, ending a 150-ball knock that contained nine boundaries.
Dilshan was snapped up by wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal off spin bowler Ajmal for 21, before Gul dismissed Nuwan Kulasekera for 11 and Herath for a duck in successive deliveries to leave the hosts at 226-8 at lunch.
Sri Lanka’s innings lasted just six overs after lunch as the Pakistani bowlers wasted no time in polishing off the tail.
Angelo Mathews was the last batsman out for 27, caught by Mohammad Yousuf off Ajmal.
Gul returned an innings haul of 4-43, while Ajmal had 4-87.
Sri Lanka coach Trevor Bayliss said his team was still in the match.
“The game is evenly poised now after two days and three days to go. So, whoever plays the best cricket in the last three days will win,” Bayliss said. “These guys are professional cricketers, they’ve had bad days before and come out and had a good day the next day. That’s just what happens in the game of cricket.”
–Agencies