Younis Khan was unbeaten on 81 after adding 151 for the fifth wicket with Asad Shafiq © AFP
Galle: Jun 25, 2012
Pakistan, set a tough victory target of 510 runs, were 205 for five in their second knock at tea on the fourth day of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle on Monday.
Veteran Younis Khan was unbeaten on 81 after adding 151 for the fifth wicket with Asad Shafiq, who was dismissed for 80 just before the break.
Debutant Mohammad Ayub was the new batsman at the crease on five.
Earlier, Khan and Shafiq defied Sri Lanka during an unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 70.
The tourists, set a near impossible victory target of 510, carried their second innings from the overnight score of 36 for three to 108 for four by lunch on the fourth day.
Younis, the most experienced batsman in the Pakistan side with 77 Test appearances, was unbeaten on 34 at the break with two boundaries.
Shafiq, playing his 14th Test, matched his senior partner with a fluent 36 not out that contained five hits to the fence.
Their partnership is Pakistan’s best in the match in which the tourists were shot out for a paltry 100 in the first innings.
But Sri Lanka remain strong favourites to wrap up the game and take the lead in the three-Test series despite forecasts for rain interruptions till Tuesday evening.
Pakistan lost nightwatchman Saeed Ajmal in the day’s third over, run out by a direct throw from the covers by Suraj Randiv.
Younis earned a repreive on nine when Tillakaratne Dilshan picked up a low catch at mid-off, but television replays proved inconclusive whether the catch had been taken cleanly.
Rangana Herath, the unlucky bowler on that occasion, went to lunch with figures of one for 20 in 15 overs. Off-spinner Randiv had 0 for 25 and seamer Nuwan Kulasekara took two for 24.(AFP)
Brief Scores: Sri Lanka 472 & 137 for 5 dec (Tillakaratne Dilshan 56, Tharanga Paranavitana 25; Junaid Khan 3 for 44, Saeed Ajmal 2 for 47) lead Pakistan 100 & 108 for 4 (Younis Khan 81*, Asad Shafiq 80; Rangana Herath 2 for 59) by 305 runs
