Pakistan tour of Sri Lanka 2009

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Fixtures

[Sadaf Gondal]

jitni achi bowling utni buri batting

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Rain stops play in Pakistan-Sri Lanka Test

GALLE: Heavy showers halted the post-lunch session of the second day''s play in the first cricket Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka here on Sunday.

Pakistan, replying to Sri Lanka''s first innings total of 292, were 139-4 in reply with Mohammad Yousuf on 41 and Misbah-ul Haq on 21.

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Sri Lanka dent Pakistan''s first innings

GALLE: Sri Lanka hit back against Pakistan Sunday to take two wickets on the second morning of the first cricket Test here on Sunday.

The hosts, bowled out for 292 on a seamers'' wicket at the Galle International Stadium, hit back to leave Pakistan on 120-4 at lunch on the second day.

Pakistan slipped from their overnight total of 15-2 to 80-4 before veteran Mohammad Yousuf and Misbah-ul Haq steadied the innings with an unbroken fifth wicket stand of 40.

Yousuf, playing his first Test in 18 months after breaking ties with the unauthorised Indian Cricket League, looked fresh as he moved to a fluent 30-not-out with three boundaries.

Misbah patiently played out time until lunch, returning to the pavilion unbeaten on 16.

Abdur Rauf, who took two wickets on his Test debut on Saturday, proved his batting worth as a night watchman by scoring 31 of Pakistan''s first 40 runs in the morning session.

Rauf put on 50 for the third wicket with skipper Younus Khan when he fell to Nuwan Kulasekera, caught by makeshift wicket-keeper Tillakaratne Dilshan just before the drinks break.

Dilshan was forced to don the gloves because first choice Prasanna Jayawardene was unavailable due to injury and skipper Kumar Sangakkara, the one-day ''keeper, preferred to guide the bowlers from the outfield.

Dilshan, who conceded five byes, took his second catch four overs later when debutant Angelo Mathews struck in his first over to remove a tentative Younus for 25.

The Pakistan captain found the boundary only twice during his 90-minute stay at the crease.

The three-match series is the first between the two nations since armed gunmen attacked the Sri Lankan team bus in the Pakistani city of Lahore on March 3 while on way to resume a Test match.

The attack injured seven Sri Lankan players and killed eight local security men.

The two teams recently contested the World Twenty20 final in England where Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by eight wickets.

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Play resumes in Pakistan-Sri Lanka Test

GALLE: Play resumed on the second day of the first cricket Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka here on Sunday after a 36-minute rain interruption in the afternoon session.

Pakistan, replying to Sri Lanka''s first innings total of 292, were 139-4 with Mohammad Yousuf on 41 and Misbah-ul Haq on 21.

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Yousuf hits 24th century

GALLE: Pakistan star batsman Muhammed Yousuf made an excellent entry into the test cricket, as he hammered out 24th century in test against Sri Lanka.

Yousuf hit 103 runs from 159 balls with the help of 9 fours, while batting in the first innings on the second day after tea.

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Pakistan 225-5 v Sri Lanka (292) at tea

GALLE: Mohammad Yousaf announced his comeback to test cricket with a composed 82 not out Sunday as he steadied Pakistan''s innings against Sri Lanka in a 139-run stand for the fifth wicket with Misbah-ul-Haq.

Resuming after lunch on the second day of the first test at120-4, Yousaf and Misbah made steady headway before Misbah was dismissed just before tea. At the interval, Pakistan was 225-5 and trailing Sri Lanka by 67 runs in the first innings.

Yousaf''s 115-ball innings included seven boundaries while Misbahwas caught by Mahela Jayawardene at slip off left-arm spinner Rangana Herath for 56 runs facing 128 balls with nine boundaries.

Pakistan''s most senior batsman, Yousaf had been away from test cricket for 19 months after he signed up with the Indian Cricket League. But he was recalled by the authorities to tour Sri Lanka after he broke links with the controversial league.

Having restricted Sri Lanka to 292 on the first day, the visitors made a nervous start losing opener Sulman Butt in the second ball ofthe innings bowled by seamer Nuwan Kulasekera. Left-arm seamer Thilan Thushara trapped Khurram Manzoor lbw for two runs to leave the visitors on 15-2 at stumps.

However, a responsible 50-run partnership between night-watchman Abdur Rauf and captain Younis Khan prevented a slide.

Rauf, making his test debut, belied his lack of experience, making 31 before nicking Kulasekera to wicketkeeper Tillakaratne Dilshan with the total on 55.

Debutant Sri Lanka seamer Anjelo Mathews then dismissed Khan (25)via a catch to Dilshan, claiming his first test wicket and leaving the visitors on a precarious 80-4 before Yousaf and Misbah combined.

Kulasekera returned the best bowling figures with 2-44 while left-arm seamer Thushara, Mathews and spinner Rangana Herath bagged a wicket each.

Opener Tharanga Paranavitana top-scored for Sri Lanka with 72runs as Pakistan''s new-look bowling attack that included three debutants performed admirably to restrict the hosts'' much-vanuted lineup to a modest total.

Mohammad Aamer, 17, returned the best figures for Pakistan with3-74 while Rauf recorded 2-59. Offspinner Saeed Ajmal and Khan also captured two wickets apiece.

The test is the first between the sides since a deadly terrorist attack on the Sri Lanka team and its security convoy during a test in Lahore in March.

[Sadaf Gondal]

Some Pics
Mohammad Yousuf gets on his knees after reaching his century

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Mohammad Yousuf reaches his 24th Test century, Pakistan v Sri Lanka, 1st Test, Galle, 2nd day, July 5, 2009

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Mohammad Yousuf sweeps fine

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Play resumes in Pakistan-Sri Lanka Test

GALLE: Play began on the third day of the first cricket Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka after early morning rain delayed the start by 30 minutes on Monday.

Sri Lanka, who trail Pakistan by 50 runs, resumed their second innings at 0-0 after failing to score off Mohammad Aamer''s only over on Sunday evening.

The two teams recently contested the World Twenty20 final in England where Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by eight wickets.