Pallekele : Unbeaten centuries by Younis Khan and Shan Masood placed Pakistan in a winning position at the end of the fourth day of the Third Test against Sri Lanka here on Monday.
At stumps, the visitors were at 230-2 with Khan and Masood still there at the crease on 101 and 114 respectively.
Pakistan needs a further 147 runs to win with eight wickets in hand.
Masood and Khan came together at 13 for 2 in a chase of 377, and responded with the highest fourth-innings partnership for Pakistan.
The pair looked to take the initiative away from the opposition with an exhibition of fine batsmanship mixed a range of brilliant shots. They took a heavy toll off T Kaushal and that resulted in the hosts’ key spinner losing the plot.
The hosts also let things drift away and lacked that intensity in the field.
Earlier, Imran Khan bowled a fabulous spell to take his maiden five wicket haul. However, skipper Angelo Mathews’ well-constructed ton seemed to have put them in a position of strength. (ANI)