Pakistan tour of Sri Lanka 2009

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Fixtures

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Sri Lanka skittle Pakistan for 90 runs

COLOMBO: Pakistan team collapsed for a mere total of 90 runs against Sri Lanka after lunch on first day of the second Test match here on Sunday.

This was Pakistan’s lowest ever Test score against Sri Lanka, eclipsing previous total was 117 made just in the first Test.

Sri Lanka''s pace duo of Nuwan Kulasekera and Thilan Thushara ripped through Pakistan''s batting line after Pakistan elected to bat on a wicket that gave early assistance to the seamers, slumped to 19-4 within the first seven overs before going to lunch on the first day struggling at 74-6.

Kulasekera, playing his eighth Test, grabbed four wickets for 21 runs and left-armer Thushara chipped in with three scalps in a dramatic Pakistani collapse at the P. Sara Oval.

Former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik was the lone batsman to defy the Sri Lankan bowlers as he returned unbeaten at the end of the innings with 39.

Only two other batsmen, Fawad Alam (16) and Mohammad Yousuf (10) could enter into double figures whereas four batsmen, captain Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Saeed Ajmal and Abdul Rauf, got out for nought.

It was not the start the tourists were looking for after losing the first Test in Galle last week to trail 1-0 in the three-match series.

Pakistan appeared rattled after Kulasekera struck the first blow in his second over when Khurram Manzoor edged an outswinger into the hands of wicket-keeper Tillakaratne Dilshan.

Pakistan captain Younus Khan departed in the next over without scoring when he chopped a ball from Thushara pitched outside the off-stump on to his stumps to make it 6-2.

Kulasekera, who worked up a tidy pace, gained a valuable break in his next over when veteran Mohammmad Yousuf cut a ball to point where Rangana Herath picked up a low catch.

Yousuf, who scored a century in the first Test, hit two boundaries in his 10.

There was further trouble for Pakistan when Misbah-ul Haq edged a Kulasekera delivery to the agile Dilshan behind the stumps before he had scored.

Malik took charge with three exquisite drives for boundaries, two of them off Kulasekera and one against Thushara.

Left-hander Fawad Alam, who replaced opener Salman Butt from the side that lost at Galle, hung around for 81 minutes to make 16 and add 32 for the fifth wicket with Malik.

Alam hit his only boundary, a square-drive off Angelo Mathews, in the 15th over, but was trapped leg-before off the seamer''s next delivery.

Thushara came on for his second spell and removed Kamran Akmal for nine, the batsman slashing a wide ball into the hands of the wicket-keeper as Pakistan dipped to 67-6.

[Sadaf Gondal]

Sri Lanka 74 runs ahead of Pakistan with seven wickets remaining
COLOMBO: Sri Lanka were 164-3 in their first innings at stumps on the first day of the second cricket Test here on Sunday after bowling Pakistan out for 90.

Skipper Kumar Sangakkara was unbeaten on 81 and Thilan Samaraweera was on 13.

The three batsmen dismissed were Malinda Warnapura leg-before to Umar Gul for 11, Tharanga Paranavitana caught by wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal off Saeed Ajmal for 26 and Mahela Jayawardene lbw off Ajmal for 19.

Off-spinner Saeed Ajmal claimed two wickets and Umar Gul took one wicket.

Earlier, Seamer Nuwan Kulasekera took a career-best 4-21 as Pakistan crashed to their lowest total against Sri Lanka of 90 on the opening day of the second cricket Test on Sunday.

The tourists, who elected to bat on a wicket that gave early assistance to the seamers, never recovered after they slumped to 19-4 within the first seven overs of the match.

Left-arm fast bowler Thilan Thushara chipped in with two wickets and spinner Ajantha Mendis dismissed the last three batsmen as Pakistan were shot out in 36 overs 45 minutes after lunch.

Former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik was the lone batsman to defy the Sri Lankan bowlers at the P. Sara Oval, returning unbeaten on 39.

Sri Lanka went to tea on 49-1 with Tharanga Paranavitana on 19 and skipper Kumar Sangakkara on 12.

Pakistan had suffered an embarrassing 50-run defeat in the first Test at Galle last week where, needing 97 more to win on the fourth morning, they lost their last eight wickets for 46 runs.

Pakistan's second innings total of 117 at Galle was their lowest against Sri Lanka, but it took just one more innings to fall below that mark in a reckless display with the bat.

Eight batsman failed to reach double figures, while debutant Fawad Alam was the second highest scorer after Malik with a dour 16 in 81 minutes.

Kulasekera, whose 4-71 in the first innings at Galle was his previous best Test effort, tore through the Pakistani top order with three wickets in 15 deliveries while conceding just three runs.

[LoViNg IrFaN]

acha hwa aj mene dekhi hi nhi in ko

[Sadaf Gondal]

90 all out
kiya zabardast performance hai
kiya baat hai








in ko sharam nahi ati

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Sri Lanka get 150 runs lead in Colombo Test

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka, replying to Pakistan''s first innings score of 90, was all out for 240 after lunch on the second day of the second cricket Test here on Monday. Sri Lanka enjoys a first innings lead of 150 runs.

Earlier, Sri Lanka started its innings at 164-3. Pakistan got first breakthrough by getting wicket of Samarawera. Umer Gul grabbed the wicket of captain Kumar Sangakara at 87 runs.

Umer Gul and Saeed Ajmal took four wickets each whereas Abdul Rauf took one.

[Sadaf Gondal]

Sri Lanka all out at 240 in second Test
COLOMBO: Sri Lanka, replying to Pakistan's first innings score of 90, were all out for 240 after lunch on the second day of the second cricket Test here on Monday. Sri Lanka enjoys a first innings lead of 150 runs.

[Sadaf Gondal]

Fawad Alam gives it the full treatment

[Sadaf Gondal]

Umar Gul took two wickets in two balls

[Sadaf Gondal]

Fawad Alam pushes it to point

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Debutant Fawad’s century brings Pakistan back in game

COLOMBO: Debutant Fawad Alam scored an unbeaten century as Pakistan produced a remarkable turnaround to claw their way back in the second Test against Sri Lanka on Monday.

The tourists, who were bowled out for 90 in their first innings, hit back to dismiss Sri Lanka for 240 and then cruised to 178-1 in their second knock by stumps on the second day.

Left-handed Alam led the way with a determined 102 not out to give Pakistan a lead of 28 runs with nine wickets in hand on a dry pitch that appeared to have eased out under the hot sun.

The fearless 23-year-old from Karachi moved to 98 by lofting left-arm spinner Rangana Herath for a six over mid-wicket and then flicked the next ball for two runs to reach the coveted century.

Alam put on 85 for the first wicket with Khurram Manzoor, who made 38 before he was caught behind by wicket-keeper Tillakaratne Dilshan off Herath.

Skipper Younus Khan, who was dismissed for zero in the first innings, was unbeaten on 35 at stumps after adding 93 for the unbroken second wicket with Alam.

Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara rotated his seam and spin attack in short bursts to gain quick breakthroughs, but Pakistan''s batsmen were not found wanting a second time.

Pakistan''s fightback was launched by seamer Umar Gul and off-spinner Saeed Ajmal, who took four wickets each to keep Sri Lanka''s first innings in check.

The hosts lost their last seven wickets for 63 runs after starting the day at a comfortable 164-3.

Gul extracted reverse swing with the old ball on the dry wicket to rip through the innings, including the wickets of Nuwan Kulasekera and Herath off successive deliveries.

Thilan Thushara denied Gul a hat-trick and Angelo Mathews hit a defiant 27 towards the end to boost Sri Lanka''s total from 220-8 before the innings ended 20 minutes after lunch.

The hosts lost the overnight pair of Sangakkara and Thilan Samaraweera within the first hour for the addition of 24 runs.

Samaraweera, who made 21 in a fourth-wicket stand of 44 with his captain, was run out by a direct throw from Mohammad Aamer at mid-off while trying to attempt a cheeky single.

Sangakkara plodded from his overnight score of 81 to 87 but was denied a 19th Test century when Gul pegged back his off-stump with a reverse-swinging delivery that came in sharply.

Ajmal, who had claimed two wickets on Sunday, earned another crucial break when umpire Daryl Harper ruled Dilshan caught at the wicket by Kamran Akmal for 20 to make Sri Lanka 203-6.

The hosts tripped to 220-8 soon after, when Gul had Kulasekera edging a wild heave to Misbah-ul Haq at first slip before taking a return catch off Herath with the next delivery.

Thushara was leg-before to Abdur Rauf in the first over after lunch before Ajmal terminated the innings by having Mathews caught in the covers by Mohammad Yousuf.

Sri Lanka won the first Test in Galle by 50 runs last week to take the lead in the three-match series.