Karachi Test ends in draw

Karachi (AP): Pakistan captain Younis Khan missed his opportunity to challenge Brian Lara's world record score of 400 and Sri Lanka held off an unlikely victory push by the hosts on Wednesday to force a draw in the first Test.

Khan was out for 313 before declaring the first innings at 765-6. Kamran Akmal remained unbeaten on a career-best 158.

On a batsmen-friendly wicket, there appeared little chance of a result, but Pakistan claimed some quick early wickets to raise hopes of a win. At 45-3, Sri Lanka looked vulnerable, but Kumar Sangakkara's 65 held the innings together, and Thilan Samaraweera and Prasanna Jayawardene negotiated the last eight overs to finish at 144-5.

With a draw always looming as the likely result, the main interest on the final day was how many runs Younis could get. Resuming on 306, he was aiming to break the record individual score set by former West Indies great Lara and other records along the way. However, he could add only seven runs before he was bowled by Fernando.

Upon dismissal, Younis was congratulated by all the Sri Lanka players as he walked back to the dressing room after becoming only the third Pakistani to score a triple century. After his dismissal, Akmal and Yasir Arafat (50 not out) added 169 runs for an unfinished seventh-wicket stand and scored at will on a placid National Stadium wicket, which had come under severe criticism for being too beneficial to batsmen.

Akmal hit eight fours and five sixes and faced 184 balls. He surpassed his previous Test best of 154 against England at Lahore in 2005. Arafat hit two fours and two sixes in his 129-ball innings.

Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene could have got both batsmen but Dilhara Fernando dropped Akmal at long off on 136 and, just before the declaration, Vaas floored a chance off Arafat in the deep. Muttiah Muralitharan (1-172) bowled 65 overs but could not add a wicket on the final day. Ajantha Mendis (1-57) also bowled 59 overs but could get little assistance from the wicket.

Fernando (2-124) was the most successful Sri Lanka bowler as Jayawardene used nine bowlers in Pakistan's first innings. The second Test will be played at Lahore from March 1-5.