Karachi, August 03: Belligerent knocks from the Akmal brothers, Kamran and Umar, and a typically entertaining cameo from Shahid Afridi propelled Pakistan to the highest total ever made at Dambulla, as they sought a way back into a series where they trail 2-0. Abdul Razzaq and Naved-ul-Hasan, playing his first game in more than two years, also chipped in at the death as Sri Lanka’s bowlers copped some real stick.
The innings was becalmed on 149 for 5 when Afridi arrived at the crease. Fawad Alam had eked out 13 from 33 balls, and Angelo Mathews and Muttiah Muralitharan were applying the squeeze. Afridi though doesn’t do things by halves. A glance and a fortuitous edge ruined Mathews’ final over, and Murali was then clubbed straight and steered fine for four more. Nuwan Kulasekara was then slapped over cover before Murali came back with a straighter one that Afridi missed. Cue some choice words, and a riposte as Afridi walked back.
Having watched the fun unfold, Umar came into his own after Afridi’s exit. He had started steadily, cutting with tremendous power, but it was a wonderful on-drive off Murali that highlighted his intention not to let the momentum drop. Having eased to a first half-century from 59 balls, he then smashed Dilhara Fernando over midwicket for six before cleverly guiding a bouncer behind square for four.
Murali was then lofted for a straight six before a wild hoick ended the innings at 66 (65 balls). Again, Murali had words but on this occasion, they had a hollow ring. Razzaq and Naved ensured that there would be no let-up, with Thilan Thushara thumped over mid-off for six and Kulasekara heaved over long-on. Naved added a six in the penultimate over as the previous highest of 284 (Sri Lanka against India in 2004) was overhauled.
The elder Akmal had been behind Pakistan’s best start of the series, despite the early loss of Nasir Jamshed. Sri Lanka had won the toss and decided to bowl first on a pitch that wasn’t as green as its predecessors, but Jamshed departed in tame fashion, hanging his bat out at one in Thushara’s opening over.
Kamran, who greeted Kulasekara with a waltz and heave over midwicket, consolidated quickly with Younis Khan for company. There was a stroke of luck, when a drive just went over Mathews’ fingertips at cover, but by and large, the plan to hit Sri Lanka’s new-ball bowlers off their length worked.
Younis played one of the shots of the morning, a lovely back-foot cover-drive off Thushara, and when Kamran then sandwiched a fluent drive between two emphatic pulls in a Kulasekara over, Pakistan were motoring. Both men played the off-drive superbly, and Kamran was quickly into the pull each time it was dropped short as 56 came from the first Powerplay.
It was then that Fernando came on, all bustling pace, split-finger slower balls and the odd bouncer. But when the breakthrough came, it was poor batsmanship rather than great bowling that was behind in. Mathews’ first ball was short and wide, and Kamran fairly leathered it for four. The second, a touch fuller, was also flailed, but this time only the edge connected. Sangakkara took it and celebrated, and Kamran was on his way after 45 in 46 balls.
Shoaib Malik played one crunching cut off Mathews, but was undone by a Fernando special, the short delivery that reared up at the splice. And when Younis then misjudged a run to mid-on – Thushara threw down the stumps with a direct hit – the scoreboard had gone from 80 for 1 to 107 for 4. It was left to Umar, playing his second game, to steer the ship clear of stormy waters. With a little help from his seniors, he did so with some aplomb.
—-Agencies