ZCZC
BSP-12
CRICKET-PAK-SRI
Sri Lanka have Pakistan at 171-5 at tea in second Test
KARACHI, Dec 19, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Sri Lanka’s pace and spin attack
restricted Pakistan to 171 for five at tea Thursday after dismissing the
dangerous Babar Azam on the opening day of the second Test in Karachi.
Azam was well set after scoring his 13th half-century before left-arm
spinner Lasith Embuldeniya had him stumped off a well-disguised delivery for
60.
Ebbuldeniya then removed Haris Sohail leg-before for nine at the stroke of
tea to further hit Pakistan, who will now look to experienced batsman Asad
Shafiq, unbeaten on 49, to better the score.
Mohammad Rizwan was the other batsman, on four.
Earlier, Sri Lanka left-arm pacer Vishwa Fernando dismissed opener Shan
Masood for five and skipper Azhar Ali for a duck to rattle Pakistan, who won
the toss on a greenish-brown National Stadium pitch.
Fernando’s new-ball partner Lahiru Kumara dismissed first Test centurion
Abid Ali for 38 to end a third-wicket partnership of 55, which had lifted
Pakistan from a precarious 10 for two.
Fernando thought he had Azam leg-before on four, but TV referalls showed
the ball hit the bat first.
Azam reached his fourth half-century in the last five innings with a crisp
boundary to cover off-spinner Dilruwan Perera, but could not match his
hundred in the first Test.
Azam’s 96-ball knock contained eight boundaries and a six. Fernando was
the thorn in the side of Pakistan in the first session.
He angled one in to Masood to hit his off stump before clean bowling
skipper Azhar with a full-length delivery.
That left Azhar without a fifty in 13 innings, including nine scores of
under 10.
Pakistan brought in leg-spinner Yasir Shah for ailing paceman Usman
Shinwari, while Embuldeniya came in for unfit Kasun Rajitha.
The two-match series is the first in Pakistan since a militant attack on
the Sri Lankan team bus killed eight people in March 2009, leading to the
suspension of international cricket in the country over security fears.
The rain-ravaged first Test ended in a draw.
BSS/AFP/ARS/1612 hrs