Pakistan strike even as Sangakkara resists

Tea Sri Lanka 212 for 4 (Sangakkara 113*, Mathews 10*) and 197 trail Pakistan 511 for 6 dec by 102 runs
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	Kumar Sangakkara made his 26th Test century © AFP Enlarge
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Pakistan made up for their fielding lapses in the morning with three strikes after lunch leaving Kumar Sangakkara's century as the only positive for Sri Lanka, and his continued presence their only hope of somehow saving the match.

After four catches had gone down during a 153-run second-wicket partnership that was beginning to hurt Pakistan, they were given an opening via Lahiru Thirimanne's suicidal attempt at a second run. Thirimanne and Sangakkara had survived for more than 50 overs; Sri Lanka now lost three batsmen in little over ten.

Saeed Ajmal and Junaid Khan, who had both been denied by the slippery hands of Mohammad Hafeez, took the fielders out of the equation, bowling Mahela Jayawardene and Tillakaratne Dilshan respectively for single-digit scores.

It was a characteristic burst from Pakistan after a typical period of frenzy before lunch when their fielding fell apart in a rush of squandered catches. It allowed Thirimanne and Sangakkara to survive a testing first session as the bowlers were let down three times by Hafeez, including twice off successive deliveries from Junaid Khan.

All the four specialist Pakistan bowlers gave Sri Lanka a hard time, producing false shots, going past the outside edge and hitting the pads, without fortune favouring them. The batsmen countered in their own ways, Thirimanne using the sweep to ward off Ajmal, Sangakkara playing straight, and nudging and cutting when the opportunities came.

Junaid produced the first real chance off the last ball of the 27th over when he induced Thirimanne to edge an attempted drive. It went low to Hafeez at first slip who grabbed at the ball and grassed it. Hafeez was to deny Junaid and reprieve Thirimanne again, off the very next delivery. If anything, this one was far easier. Thirimanne had another escape as lunch approached, when he cut Ajmal straight to the gully fielder, who backed away and was hit on the body. It was Hafeez yet again.

Junaid was to suffer a third time when Younis Khan was unsure whether he had taken Sangakkara's edge cleanly after diving forward at second slip. Younis let off Sangakkara once again before lunch on 56, dropping a tough diving chance at slip off, ironically, Hafeez.

Thirimanne could not capitalise on the good fortune but Sangakkara continued to resist, even as wickets fell. He used the abundant short deliveries to cut and steer for boundaries on the off side and kept nudging and clipping for runs on the leg. Yet another cut shot to the point boundary off Junaid earned him his 11th second-innings Test century, off 173 deliveries. After another mini-collapse, though, Sri Lanka were left wishing for more support for Sangakkara.