Pakistan face innings defeat

Pakistan were struggling to avoid an innings defeat in the Asian Test Championship final after stumbling to 193 for five in their second innings against Sri Lanka on Friday.

Requiring 294 runs to make Sri Lanka bat again, Pakistan were thankful play was called off seven overs early in near darkness. Gloomy weather forced the floodlights to be switched on as early as 6.1 overs into the Pakistan second innings.

Earlier, Pakistan paceman Mohammad Sami took a hat-trick either side of lunch as Sri Lanka lost their last six wickets for 81 to total 528, their highest total against Pakistan.

Sami became the third Pakistani bowler to take a hat-trick after Wasim Akram (twice) and Abdul Razzaq.

Pakistan lost Shahid Afridi for 70, Yousaf Youhana for seven and Abdul Razzaq for five in quick succession to off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, a slide to 181 for five from the relative comfort of 150 for two in the space of 45 balls.

The only bright spot for Pakistan is that Inzamam-ul-Haq is still at the crease on 38, which contained just one four and was accumulated from 105 balls. Shoaib Malik has made six.

Two years ago at Dhaka, Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by an innings and 175 runs in the first Asian Trophy Championship final. Sri Lanka's previous highest total against Pakistan was 479 at Faisalabad in 1985/86.

Afridi, who got a life when he was dropped on six at first slip off Nuwan Zoysa, threw his wicket away with a careless shot and started the mini-collapse.

He had batted with aggression for 170 minutes for his 70 from 111 balls when he jumped down the track to Muralitharan, who got the ball to go straight and leave the batsman stranded.

Afridi and Inzamam put together a third-wicket stand of 84 from 127 balls. Youhana, normally Pakistan's most reliable bat, hit Samaraweera for four and then tried another big hit against Muralitharan but was caught at long-on by Atapattu.

Razzaq was trapped on the back foot by the off-spinner after scoring just five.

Mail Cricket Editor