First Pakistan-Sri Lanka Test ends in draw
January 4, 2014 07:00 pm
The
first Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka ended in a draw on the fifth and
final day in Abu Dhabi on Saturday after Mohammad Hafeez and Ahmed Shehzad hit
half-centuries.
Hafeez
finished with 80 not out for his ninth Test half-century, his first in 11
innings, while Ahmed Shehzad notched his maiden fifty on his debut as Pakistan,
set 302 runs in a possible of 67 overs, finished on 2-158.
The
second Test starts in Dubai on Wednesday and the third will be played in
Sharjah from January 16.
It was
a moral victory for the Sri Lankans who were in a danger of losing after
conceding a 179-run lead in the first innings and were 4-186 after the third
day, leading by just seven runs with six wickets intact.
Skipper
Angelo Mathews hit a career-best 157 not out to pull his team out of danger on
the fourth day when they lost just one wicket for 234 runs.
The
target always looked beyond Pakistan’s reach as their best winning chase in all
Tests was 314 against Australia in Karachi in 1994.
The
home side lost opener Khurram Manzoor early, caught behind off paceman Suranga
Lakmal after scoring eight, and Shehzad was trapped leg-before by spinner
Rangana Herath soon after tea for 55.
Mathews
said he was happy with his team’s fightback.
“Pretty
happy with the result and hope to continue like this in the series,” said the
man-of-the-match.
“We
were in a spot of bother after the third day but I am happy that we came good
in batting and forced a draw.”
Pakistan
captain Misbah-ul Haq was disappointed at his side’s batting collapse in the
first innings.
“It was
a pretty even match. We dominated the first three days but they came back
strongly,” said Misbah, who also scored a century.
“We
need to improve our batting because the way we lost six wickets for 50-odd runs
was not good and also our bowling when the wicket is not conducive.”
Sri
Lanka declared their second innings on 5-480 after batting for 90 minutes,
showing they had safety on their minds.
It was
the unfinished sixth-wicket 156-run stand between Mathews and Prasanna
Jayawardene (63 not out) that ended all hopes of a Pakistani win.
Pacemen
Junaid Khan finished with 3-93, while Bilawal Bhatti took 2-146.
Off-spinner
Saeed Ajmal, who took 18 wickets in Pakistan’s 1-0 win over Sri Lanka in 2011,
finished wicket-less in his 49 overs, conceding 115 runs -- only the fifth time
that he failed to get a wicket in an innings in his 31 Tests. (AAP)