Azhar defies Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi Test
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Lankan Test skipper Dinesh Chandimal is highly relieved to make a breakthrough
ABU DHABI AFP Sept30, 2017: Azhar Ali once more rescued Pakistan’s batting with a fighting half century on the third day of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.
The one-drop batsman was unbeaten on 74 but saw Babar Azam fell for 28 in the last over of the day as Pakistan finished on 266-4 on a Sheikh Zayed Stadium pitch which has started to assist spinners.
Pakistan still trail the Sri Lankan first innings total of 419 by 153 runs with six wickets intact.
Pakistan had pinned their hopes on Ali in the post Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq era who retired in May this year after shouldering team’s batting for nearly seven years.
A cautious Ali made sure Pakistan do not concede a big lead in the first innings, having hit only one boundary in his 26th Test half century.
In all Ali has so far hit three boundaries during his 297 minutes of batting. He added 79 for the third wicket with Asad Shafiq who made 39 to take the fight to Sri Lankan three-pronged spin attack.
Veteran left-arm spinner Herath was the most successful bowler with 2-47.
When on 32, Ali also completed 5,000 Test runs in his 61st Test. He became the eighth Pakistan batsmen behind Younis Khan (10,099), Javed Miandad (8832) Inzamam-ul-Haq (8829), Mohammad Yousuf (7530), Salim Malik (5768), Misbah (5222) and Zaheer Abbas (5062) to reach the milestone.
Pakistan batsman Shan Masood fails to negotiate a Rangana Herath leg-spinner
But it was the opening pair of Shan Masood and Sami Aslam who set the platform for a big total by putting together a solid 114-run opening stand after they resumed at 64 without loss.
Sri Lanka, however, hit back by removing both openers in the space of two runs.
Aslam, recalled after being dropped from the West Indies tour on disciplinary grounds earlier this year, was trapped leg-before by off-break bowler Dilruwan Perera. He hit four boundaries in his seventh Test half century.
Two runs later Masood attempted a sweep shot off the wily Herath but missed the ball and was bowled round his legs.
Pakistan had luck on their side with the reviews as both Ali and Shafiq survived confident appeals. Ali wisely reviewed a leg-before decision off Perera, but the ball hit his bat before the pad.
Shafiq was given not out on a review when he was stumped off Herath on one.
It was Herath who finally dislodged Shafiq when a sharp turner caught an edge off Shafiq’s bat, deflected from wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella’s thigh to slip where Lahiru Thirimanne took the catch.
Scoreboard
Sri Lanka 1st innings 419 (D. Chandimal 155 not out, D. Karunaratne 93, N. Dickwella 83; Abbas 3-75, Yasir Shah 3-120)
Pakistan Ist innings (overnight 64-0)
Shan Masood b Herath 59
(Ball sneaks under the bat and leg stump
is rattled)
Sami Aslam lbw b Perera 51
(Skids through from back of a length and
thuds into his pad in front of middle stump)
Azhar Ali not out 74
Asad Shafiq c Thirimanne b Herath 39
(Dabs it to first slip)
Babar Azam c Dickwella b Pradeep 28
(Tried to work down the leg side and edged it)
Extras: (b4, lb9, nb2) 15
Total: (for four wkts; 112.4 overs) 266
To bat: Haris Sohail, Sarfraz Ahmed, Mohammad Amir, Yasir Shah, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Abbas
Fall of wickets: 1-114 (Aslam), 2-116 (Masood), 3-195 (Shafiq), 4-266 (Azam)
Bowling: Lakmal 15-3-30-0 (1nb), Pradeep 16.4-1-44-1, Perera 27-7-58-1, Sundakan 26-6-68-0, Herath 25-6-47-2, Karunaratne 3-1-6-0
Toss: Sri Lanka
Umpires: Richard Kettleborough (ENG)and Nigel Llong (ENG)
TV umpire: Ahsan Raza (PAK)