Published: Jun 21, 2015, 03:45 PM (IST)
Edited: Jun 21, 2015, 04:04 PM (IST)
Pakistan have won the first Test at Galle against Sri Lanka by 10 wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the three-Test series. This was a superb comeback from them, after the rain had washed out the first day but Yasir Shah‘s seven for 76 helped them get into a position of winning the match.
Pakistan had to chase 90 runs to win the game and they had very little trouble doing so. Both the openers sealed the win with impressive and quick cameos to help Pakistan beat Sri Lanka for the first time in Sri Lanka after 2006.
Sri Lanka started the fifth and final day of the Test at 63 for two and were off to a horror start losing the nightwatchman Dilruwan Perera off the very first ball to Shah. Lahiru Thirimanne and Dimuth Karunaratne though put their head down and shared a 69-run stand to wipe off the deficit. Live cricket updates: Sri Lanka vs Pakistan 2015, 1st Test at Galle, Day 5
Just when it looked like Sri Lanka were looking good, Wahab Riaz struck to dismiss Thirimanne for 44 to peg back the hosts and have them 144 for four at Lunch on the final day. The blow though came after lunch when Shah dismissed Angelo Mathews, rather controversially. Mathews was given out bat pad at short leg but he reviewed it but despite there not being enough to prove it was out, the umpire’s call stayed and Mathews departed.
Sri Lanka suffered a collapse when Karunaratne was out for 79 trying to go after Shah. The hosts never managed to comeback after that as wickets then fell at regular intervals with Dinesh Chandimal being the only one who played sensibly. Shah ran through the line-up and when he dismissed Chandimal, he picked up seven for 76, his career best figures to set up the win for Pakistan who had to chase just 90 runs to win the game. LIVE CRICKET SCORECARD: Sri Lanka vs Pakistan, 1st Test, Galle, Day 5
Pakistan had earlier posted 417 after being 118 for five at the end of third day’s play but the 139-run stand between Sarfraz Ahmed and Asad Shafiq put them back on track. Sarfraz Ahmed missed out on his ton, getting out on 96 trying to sweep Dhammika Prasad, who finished with three wickets. Shafiq then added another 100 runs with Zulfiqar Babar who scored 56. Shafiq ensured Pakistan got a big lead of 117 runs with his 131. Perera picked up four wickets but was expensive. Read: SL vs PAK 2015, 1st at Galle: Sarfraz Ahmed’s aggression catches Sri Lanka off guard
After inserting Sri Lanka to bat on Day Two, Pakistan eventually bowled out Sri Lanka for a score of 300. Kaushal Silva with his 125 was the top scorer for them with Sangakkara chipping in with his 52nd Test fifty. Riaz and Babar took three wickets apiece. Rain had washed out the entire first day’s play.
Pakistan will be bouyed with the win as everything clicked for them but the same cannot be said about Sri Lanka. Had it not been for Silva’s ton, they would have had a very bad game. They will hope to regroup and comeback hard as Pakistan will eye their first series win in the island nation after 2006.
Brief scores:
Sri Lanka 300 (Kaushal Silva 125, Kumar Sangakkara 50; Wahab Riaz 3 for 74, Zulfiqar Babar 3 for 64) & 206 (Dimuth Karunaratne 79, Lahiru Thirimanne 44; Wahab Riaz 2 for 46, Yasir Shah 7 for 76) lose to Pakistan 417 (Asad Shafiq 131, Sarfraz Ahmed 96, Zulfiqar Babar 56; Dhammika Prasad 3 for 91, Dilruwan Perera 4 for 122)& 90 for 0 (Mohammad Hafeez 46*, Ahmed Shehzad 43*; Dhammika Prasad 0 for 10 ) by 10 wickets.
Man of the Match: Sarfraz Ahmed!
(Nikhil Popat is a diehard cricket enthusiast and a PotterHead till the end of time. He can be followed on Twitter @CricCrazyNIKS)
