Sri Lanka pile on the runs in Dubai

Cricket365
January 9, 2014

An unbeaten century from Mahela Jayawardene and a 95 from opener Kaushal Silva gave Sri Lanka complete control of the second Test against Pakistan, with the visitors reaching 318 for four at stumps on day two.

The pair added 139 for the fourth wicket before Silva was dismissed five runs short of what would have been a maiden Test century, when he played all around a straight one from Mohammad Hafeez and was given out leg-before.

He called for the review immediately and although replies suggested the decision was a marginal one, with Hawkeye suggesting it would have clipped the top of leg stump.

His dismissal brought captain Angelo Matthews to the wicket, and even though the number six lived a charmed life at times – he was dropped by Sarfraz Ahmed with his score on 12 off the bowling of Rahat Ali, he played some attractive strokes through the off-side in particular to ensure that the scoreboard kept ticking over.

Matthews reached 42 by the close of play and had added 91 runs in 28 overs with the former captain.

After dismissing the home side for a paltry 165 on a fruitful first day, the visitors resumed play on Thursday morning with their score on 57/1 after opener Dimuth Karunaratne was dismissed for 32 by Junaid Khan the previous evening.

Overnight pair Silva and Kumar Sangakkara – who both started the day with their scores on 12 – added a further 18 runs to their score before the latter was trapped leg-before by Ali with for 26.

The prolific left-hander misjudged an in-swinger from the left-arm seamer that moved slightly more off the wicket than he anticipated and was trapped plumb in front for 26.

His dismissal brought Dinesh Chandimal to the wicket, but the 24-year-old became the second Sri Lankan wicket to fall shortly afterwards.

With his score on 88, Chandimal (12) fell into the trap set by Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq when he top-edged a hood shot off the bowling of Junaid and was caught on the fine-leg fence by Rahat.

Silva, who was playing compactly to reach an unbeaten 40 at the lunch interval, was then joined by Jayawerdene and the pair added another 44 runs in the 16 overs that followed.

Earlier in the morning session, Silva survived a review when the home side thought he had been caught behind down the leg side off a Rahat delivery, but the third umpire correctly adjudged that the ball came off the thigh pad.

Silva Jayawardene batted through the afternoon session to reach 215 for three at tea after the pair resumed after the lunch with the score on 132 for three, and had little trouble accumulating runs on the flat Dubai track.

The home side thought they made a breakthrough when umpire Bruce Oxenford gave Jayawardene the finger when Rahat Ali appealed for leg before with the score on 160 for three, but the former captain asked for the review immediately.

The classy right-hander's decision was vindicated though, when replays showed that the ball had pitched outside the leg stump and was going to miss the stumps, according to Hawkeye.