COLOMBO, July 12: Sri Lanka seized control of the second Test on Sunday by bowling Pakistan out for 90, the tourists' lowest total against Sri Lanka.
Seamer Nuwan Kulasekara was the chief destroyer, triggering the collapse with the new ball after Pakistan won the toss, and finishing with four for 21 from nine overs.
Spinner Ajantha Mendis finished off the innings, scything through the lower order to claim three for 20 from 10 overs. Sri Lanka needed just 36 overs to bowl out Pakistan. Former captain Shoaib Malik was the only batsman to offer resistance, scoring an unbeaten 39.
Sri Lanka lost opener Malinda Warnapura (11) before reaching the tea interval on 49 for one, only 41 runs behind. Opener Tharanga Paranavitana was on 19 and captain Kumar Sangakkara unbeaten on 12.
Pakistan appeared to have claimed an early advantage when they won the toss on a good batting pitch, albeit a venue that traditionally offers assistance to the fast bowlers in the first session of a Test match. However, they were rocked by superb new ball bowling from Kulasekara and his new ball partner Thilan Thushara, who claimed two for 23. Pakistan lost the wickets of Khurram Manzoor (three), skipper Younis Khan (nought), Mohammad Yousuf (10) and Misbah ul Haq (nought) in the first 45 minutes of play. Manzoor was the first to go, caught behind after edging a leg-cutter from Kulasekara. Khan then chopped a delivery from left-armer Thushara onto his stumps to leave Pakistan six for two. Yousuf started confidently but then drilled a catch to backward point off Kulasekara. Shortly afterwards, Kulasekara found the outside edge of Misbah to leave the tourists on 19 for four.
Pakistan rallied briefly with Fawad Alam (16), who replaced the out-of-form Salman Butt, adding 32 with Shoaib Malik.
However, the left-handed Alam was shuffling across his stumps and Angelo Mathews seized on this technical weakness with an inswinger that trapped him lbw.
Wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal fell just before lunch, slashing at a wide delivery from Thushara to be caught behind for nine.
Having reached lunch on 74/6, they slumped deeper into trouble after the break as Kulasekara pinned Abdur Rauf lbw for a duck. Mendis then worked his magic with the tail. Umar Gul was caught at short cover off the full toss and both Mohammad Aamer and Saeed Ajmal were trapped lbw. Sri Lanka won the first match of this three-Test series in Galle by 50 runs. (Agencies)
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