Sri Lanka v Pakistan, 1st Test, Colombo,

Farhat and Asif give Pakistan the advantage

The Bulletin by Osman Samiuddin

March 27, 2006

Stumps Pakistan 124 for 4 (Farhat 69) trail Sri Lanka 185 (Dilshan 69, Asif 4-41) by 61 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out





Mohammad Asif destroyed Sri Lanka's top order with a superb spell on the second morning © Getty Images



Pakistan moved nervously into a position of strength against Sri Lanka on the second day of the first Test in Colombo. Having made the most of helpful conditions to dismiss Sri Lanka for 185 by tea, thanks to spectacular opening bursts from Mohammad Asif and Umar Gul, Pakistan overcame an edgy start to end the day on 124 for 4, built from a 94-run partnership between Imran Farhat and Inzamam-ul-Haq. With six wickets in hand and 65 runs behind, they will come out tomorrow with some confidence.

Until Farhat and Inzamam got together, confidence was difficult to find. Three wickets in nine balls - and two in two from Farvez Maharoof including Younis Khan first up - had reduced Pakistan to 28 for 3. Lasith Malinga, headband-ed and afro-ed like John McEnroe, steamed in to provide admirable support. As well as dismissing Faisal Iqbal, he came back late in the day to eke out Farhat for 69, both falling to hooks, top-edged and ill-advised.


Farhat's error had been long telegraphed and his sixth Test fifty was among the most schizophrenic of his career. Through his 90-ball knock were ugly mistimed slogs followed immediately with caressed boundaries straight and through cover. In the 17th over, from Dilhara Fernando, he missed a slog, then cut magnificently and then edged low through slips. He looked more at home against spinners than he did against the pacers, never more so than when he drove, flicked and smashed four boundaries from a Malinga Bandara over and though longevity he never promised, he served a purpose. Ominously for the hosts, Inzamam who began scratchily, was looking typically laidback by the day's close.


By then, conditions had eased considerably since the morning, when they were what you imagine fast-medium bowlers like Asif and Gul would ask for if they could control weather. Both utilized the heavy cloud and humidity well, jagging the ball in and away as if spinning it. Asif was the more effective as he found better lengths and lines for his movement where Gul, betraying the rust of a man in his first Test for two years, veered erratically but not without effect. The decision to field first brought immediate reward, Upul Tharanga trapped off the morning's fourth ball and 16 balls later - four balls before more rain - Sanath Jayasuriya went as many left-handers do: chopping onto stumps a ball neither wide nor short enough.


A 40-minute break later, the morning worsened for the hosts. Asif and Kumar Sangakkara re-enacted the Martin Bicknell-Jacques Rudolph confrontation at the Oval, 2003. Asif moved balls away, then suddenly brought one back as Sangakkara, looking to leave, heard his off-bail being clipped. Thilan Samaraweera came in SOS mode, as he did when scoring a hundred in October 2004 in Faisalabad from 77 for 4, but fell to a more extravagant version of the same trick. With Gul bringing a sort of intern honesty, Sri Lanka at 32 for 5, were down.


That they were not subsequently outed was due to a 111-run sixth wicket partnership between Tillakaratne Dilshan and Maharoof. Dilshan played initially the only way a batsman could in the conditions; driving or defending, he was getting beaten so he attacked. He got off the mark with a square-driven four and then fully unshackled when Gul was finally replaced by Abdul Razzaq half an hour before lunch. He kept going in the same vein till lunch, a stunning cover drive off Asif bettered by a square drive off Razzaq after.



Tillakaratne Dilshan played a valiant hand for Sri Lanka © Getty Images




A fuller stomach made him fussier as he chose balls he wanted to go after; three overs after lunch, he slapped Gul through extra cover and next ball, short, was pulled to midwicket. His next boundary - his seventh - didn't come until seven overs later, a whippy cut off Gul again and it brought up his seventh Test fifty. In between, he picked singles cleverly, once driving Razzaq through mid-off for four in the 40th over to bring up the century partnership. All the while Maharoof offered studied support. Protected initially by Dilshan till lunch, he blossomed thereafter, immediately driving Razzaq through mid-off. It was a straightness he adhered to in attack and defence through his Test-best score of 46. He blocked what was necessary and scored whenever the chance arose. Gul strayed short, he sliced him over point, Razzaq strayed down leg and he flicked him fine for the same.


The afternoon wore on, the pitch eased up, as did Pakistan and Inzamam, allowing the game to gently begin a drift away from Pakistan. Instead of bringing in Asif after lunch as the situation demanded, he persisted with a tired Gul and a flat Razzaq. Time and runs ticked by and the more the game waited for Asif, the more it seemed only he would take a wicket. Sure enough, when he came back, over two hours after his last spell, he struck off his fifth ball back, inducing Maharoof into cross-batted rashness. The decision from Inzamam was two hours too late though the wicket sparked the collapse of the tail, with Danish Kaneria cheekily picking up three wickets, including that of Dilshan for a heroic 69. 185 was more than Sri Lanka could have hoped for, but eventually looked a lot less than they would have aimed for.



How they were out


Upul Tharanga lbw Asif 0 (0 for 1)
Pitched in line, nipped back a little as Tharanga shuffled uncertainly

Sanath Jayasuriya b Gul 6 (10 for 2)
Played on to short-of-length ball not offering enough width

Kumar Sangakkara b Asif 8 (18 for 3)
Leaving a ball that nipped into him rather than out, off-bail clipped

Mahela Jayawardene c Akmal b Gul 1 (26 for 4)
Cement-footed cut to a wide ball going wider

Thilan Samaraweera b Asif 4 (32 for 5)
Leaving a ball pitching outside off, jagged back to take middle-and-leg

Farvez Maharoof c Younis b Asif 46 (143 for 6)
Flashing at one angled across him, Younis takes a blinder

Tillakaratne Dilshan c Younis b Kaneria 69 (149 for 7)
Uncertain prod and edge to one that spun across him from round the wicket

Malinga Bandara b Kaneria 16 (162 for 8)
Failed to read a googly

Lasith Malinga c Inzamam b Afridi 8 (177 for 9)
Looped up a flick to square leg

Dilhara Fernando c Inzamam b Kaneria 16 (185 for 10)
Defensive prod smartly snatched up on second attempt at silly mid-off

Pakistan


Shoaib Malik c Bandara b Maharoof 13 (25 for 1)
A weak, uppish flick straight to square leg


Younis Khan c Sangakkara b Maharoof 0 (25 for 2)
Unsure prod, edged straight to the 'keeper


Faisal Iqbal c Maharoof b Malinga 2 (28 for 3)
Top edged a hook straight to deep square leg


Imran Farhat c Bandara b Malinga 69 (122 for 4)
Top edges a hook, high to deep square leg