Younis Khan, Akram extend run-fest Pakistan log Test best against Lanka

Jayasuriya edged an outswinger from Waqar Younis to Inzamam-ul-Haq at second slip when the total was on 33.

Marvan Atapattu and Russel Arnold survived the remaining overs against hostile bowling by Waqar and Abdur Razzaq to be unbeaten on 17 and four respectively.

Sri Lanka still trail by 374 runs with nine wickets in hand and with two days remaining.

Atapattu was hit on the left side of his visor when he tried to avoid a short-pitched delivery from Razzak and Arnold was given the benefit of doubt by the third umpire when he edged a catch to Inzamam-Ul-Haq at slip off Waqar before he opened his score.

Resuming at 341 for five, Pakistan’s batsmen ran riot as they pummelled the hapless Lankan bowling on a firm batting pitch to all parts of the ground.

Younis Khan and Wasim Akram joined Saeed anwar and Inzamam as centurions in the Pakistan innings.

Younis who made a century on his Test debut against the same side at Rawalpindi in February, completed his second hundred off 233 balls hitting one six and eight fours before lofting a catch to long-on off Mahela Jayawardene.

Younis shared two century partnerships with Razzaq and Akram of 106 and 120 runs respectively for the sixth and seventh wickets.

Razzaq was dismissed for 48 when he did not offer a stroke to a Muttiah Muralitharan delivery and was bowled.

But Akram who replaced him took the tiring Lankan attack by the scruff of its neck to rattle off his third Test century in 86 balls which included six sixes and eight fours.

The left-hander who single-handedly played a virtuoso role in Pakistan’s five-wicket victory at Colombo last week, completed his half-century off 45 balls with four sixes and six fours.

His partnership of 120 with Younis was a new record for the seventh-wicket for Pakistan against Sri Lanka beating the 104 between Haroon Rashid and Tahir Naqqash at Karachi in 1981-82.

Pakistan closed their innings at 600/8 shortly after tea when Akram was caught in the deep attempting another big hit. It was Pakistan’s highest total against Sri Lanka and also their highest in Sri Lanka.

The previous highest was 594 in the Asian Test championships final at Dhaka in 1998-99 and before that 390 at Colombo in 1994-95.

Scoreboard
Sri Lanka (1st innings): 181
Pakistan (1st innings; overnight 341-5): Saeed Anwar c Kaluwitharana b Arnold 123, Md Wasim c Ranatunga b Muralitharan 29, Azhar Mahmood b Muralitharan 0, Yousuf Youhana st Kaluwitharana b Muralitharan 41, Inzamam-ul Haq c Kaluwitharana b Pushpakumara 112, Younis Khan c Pushpakumara b Jayewardene 116, Abdur Razzaq b Muralitharan 48, Wasim Akram c Atapattu b Jayewardene 100, Moin Khan not out 3; Extras: (b5, lb6, nb17) 28. Total: (for 8 wkts decl. off 175.2 overs) 600Fall of wickets:

1-71, 2-72, 3-161, 4-266, 5-340, 6-446, 7-566, 8-600
Bowling: Vaas 34-7-82-0, Pushpakumara 29-6-116-1, Herath 36-7-115-0, Muralitharan 50-13-138-4, Arnold 20-4-71-1, Jayasuriya 2-0-22-0, Jayewardene 3.2-0-32-2, Ranatunga 1-0-13-0.
Sri Lanka (2nd innings): Maravan Atapattu batting 17, Sanath Jayasuriya c Haq b Waqar 21, Russel Arnold batting 4; Extras: (lb3) 3. Total: (for 1 wkt in 25 overs) 45Fall of wicket: 1-33
Bowling: Younis 11-4-24-1, Akram 5-2-10-0, Razzaq 7-2-8-0, Arshad 2-2-0-0.