da apostaganha： The unofficial Test series between Sri Lanka and Pakistan was delicatelypoised tonight after a frantic second day of the final four-day game atGalle today
Charlie Austin26-Jun-2001The unofficial Test series between Sri Lanka and Pakistan was delicatelypoised tonight after a frantic second day of the final four-day game atGalle today. Fortunes fluctuated throughout the day and both sides stillharbour realistic hopes of victory, even if Pakistan hold the upper handafter a five wicket haul by Danish Kaneria.Bizarrely, on such a fine batting pitch, twenty-six wickets have now fallenin the first two days and, barring bad weather, a conclusion withinthree-days now appears a certainty. Sri Lanka now have a lead of 108 withjust four second-innings wickets remaining.Sri Lanka’s bowlers, led by Thilan Samaraweera, fought their side back intomatch in the morning as they took six wickets for 47 runs. Hasan Razaresponded by compiling a 52-run partnership for the last wicket andcompleted his second hundred of the series in the process. The crucialpartnership, quite possibly a match winning one, left Pakistan with avaluable 38 run lead.Avishka Gunawardene then shrugged off the early dismissal of ShanthaKalavitigoda in the Sri Lankan second innings with another powerful displayof batting. He wiped out the deficit in a flash, as he as he carved thefaster bowlers, particularly Najaf Shah, who was disdainfully pummeled for14 in his second over, around the ground in a 56-ball half century.Raza was quick to introduce Danish Kaneria, Pakistan’s promising legspinner, and though the brawny left-hander played more studiously, the legspinner eventually had him caught at cover in near identical fashion to hisfirst innings dismissal. It ended a 73 run partnership for the second wicketthat was swinging the match towards Sri Lanka.Kaneria then ran through the brittle middle order. Chamara Silva (4) wastrapped leg-before wicket in Kaneria’s next over, Michael Vandort (35) wassnapped up at short leg, Malintha Warnapura (1) was caught behind as hetried to sweep, and Jevantha Kulatunga (7) top edged a sweep as he tried tobreak the shackles. Sri Lanka had lost five wickets for 27 runs and slippedfrom 94 for one to 121 for six.An undefeated seventh wicket partnership of 25 between Thilan Samaraweeraand Prasanna Jayawardene halted the slide and gives Sri Lanka hope tomorrow.When Pakistan arrived this morning they were confident of compiling aseries-winning first innings lead on a fine batting pitch, but came unstuckafter the introduction of Samaraweera. The off spinner, a revelation in thethis series with 20 wickets so far, swept through the middle order afterRuchira Perera had trapped Misbah ul-Haq leg-before wicket in the third overof the day.Yasir Arafat, Humayun Farhat, and Irfan Fazil were all snapped up by thebat-pad catchers; all defeated in the air as they groped forward to smotherthe spin. Pakistan went into lunch on 122 for seven.Straight after the interval Dinusha Fernando picked up the wickets of KashifRaza and Danish Kaneria with Pakistan still 14 runs adrift of Sri Lanka’sfirst innings score.Sri Lanka’s recent cricket history, however, is littered with frustratinglast wicket partnerships that have allowed their opponents to grab back theinitiative. Hasan Raza, who was on 55 when the ninth wicket fell, exposedthat weakness again, as he upped the tempo.Given solid support by Najaf Shah, who scored just five of the 52 runpartnership, Raza induced a sense of panic with a series of bold, sometimesinnovative, strokes. Immediately after reaching his four-hour hundred,however, scored off 197 balls, Najaf Shah was trapped leg-before wicket toend the innings.