St Lucia, July 12: Pakistan’s hopes of levelling the series after the disappointment of Galle received a huge setback on the opening session of the second Test, as Sri Lanka’s seamers took all the honours after being asked to bowl first.
On a pretty good batting surface, the seamers took advantage of the new ball, some nip off the surface, and careless batting by some of the Pakistan batsmen to reduce them to 74 for 6 at lunch.
Younis had no doubt that batting first was the way to go on a pitch that looked somewhat dry, but things went pear-shaped for them from the beginning. The surface offered some assistance to the new ball, both Kulasekara, Thilan Thushara and Angelo Mathews pitched it in the corridor, got movement in the air and off the pitch, and that combination was far too lethal for Pakistan’s weak top order.
Kulasekara, especially, was outstanding. He started by setting up Khurram Manzoor with a couple that moved in, before slipping in one which held its line and took a thin edge on the way to Tillakaratne Dilshan, the wicketkeeper. Pakistan’s 38th opening combination in 136 innings had been separated after only 14 deliveries.
Worse to follow as the experienced middle-order trio of Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf and Misbah-ul-Haq followed in quick succession, with two of them failing to score. The two Ys both fell to shots which were avoidable – Younis chopped it on to his stumps when trying to cut one from Thushara that too full for the stroke, while Yousuf, after getting two fours in his first three balls, drove Kulasekara lazily to point. Misbah was kept on nought for ten deliveries, before Kulasekara nailed him with a superb delivery which nipped back and took the inside edge.
Ironically, the batsman who survived this bowling onslaught was a debutant, opening the innings for the first time in first-class cricket. Fawad Alam came into the team for Salman Butt, and contrary to expectations, walked out to bat first up after Younis won the toss.
His pronounced shuffle ultimately cost him his wicket, but there were still positives for him from his debut innings – he played straight, and he left deliveries well outside off. He played only 19 deliveries in the first 11 overs of the innings, but he was patient, and finally got his first four in Tests with a superb back-foot punch off Angelo Mathews. That was as good as it got, unfortunately – noticing Alam’s big shuffle, Mathews cleverly nipped one back into the left-hander, and trapped him plumb in front.
With nothing going Pakistan’s way, Kamran Akmal decided that counterattacking was the best option. It worked briefly, when he struck two fours off successive balls from Mathews, but when Thushara returned for a second spell and angled one across Akmal, he flayed at it and offered Dilshan another catch which he gleefully lapped up.
Malik was more successful in mixing offence with defence, driving straight down the ground when the seamers pitched it up, but otherwise showing tight technique when defending. He had little support from the others, though, which meant Pakistan were staring down the barrel after only one session of the Test.
Sri Lanka 1 Malinda Warnapura, 2 Tharanga Paranavitana, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (capt), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Thilan Samaraweera, 6 Tillakaratne Dilshan (wk), 7 Angelo Mathews, 8 Nuwan Kulasekara, 9 Rangana Herath, 10 Thilan Thushara, 11 Ajantha Mendis.
Pakistan 1 Khurram Manzoor, 2 Fawad Alam, 3 Younis Khan (capt), 4 Mohammad Yousuf, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq, 6 Shoaib Malik, 7 Kamran Akmal (wk), 8 Abdur Rauf, 9 Umar Gul, 10 Mohammad Aamer, 11 Saeed Ajmal.
—–Agencies