Pakistan started day 2 in a good fashion but was unable to get the all-important wicket of Sangakkara who stretched the Sri Lankan total to 472. The Pakistani batsmen then couldn’t respond in a fashion that they would have liked to.

 23rd June 2012

Pakistan had a dismal day 1, as Sri Lanka ended the day on 300 for the loss of only two wickets. Pakistan came out to the ground this morning with a hope and will to have a much better day 2. 

Umar Gul and Junaid Khan started off the day with the second new ball being 6 overs old, but the duo could not get the breakthrough, as the Sri Lankan pair of Jayawardene and Sangakkara continued from where they had left off yesterday. However, Saeed Ajmal was brought into the attack and it didn’t take him long to take the wicket of Jayawardene, providing a much needed breakthrough. The magician then continued to show his magic and took the wicket of Samaraweera with a beautiful doosra and the very next ball, accepted gleefully a return catch offered by Angelo Mathews to claim his fifth victim. The Ajmal 5fer left the Sri Lankan team tottering on 335/5 compared to the 300/2 at the start of the day. 

Prasanna Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara took Sri Lanka to lunch without any further casualties at 366/5, with the threat of Sangakkara still looming over Pakistan.

After lunch, Pakistan came out hungry for wickets, but Prasanna Jayawardene and Sangakkara had other ideas and played solidly to stretch the total past 400. Meanwhile Sangakarra had continued to torment Pakistan and had reached another milestone, his fifteenth 150. It was the introduction of the captain Hafeez that broke the partnership, getting Prasanna Jayawardene caught behind on 48. The spinners then continued to trouble the tail and Rehman took his first wicket in the test match, getting the wicket of Suraj Randiv. 

Nuwan Kulasekara didn’t last much longer, as an umpiring error meant that debutant Ayub took his first catch ever in test match cricket and Hafeez claimed his second victim. The session ended immediately at the fall of that wicket at 439/8.

After tea, Sangakkara kept most of the strike and it took a brilliant throw from Umar Gul from the deep to get rid of Herath and left Pakistan within touching distance of ending the innings. Sangakarra kept determine to score runs and when he was on 193, he launched Ajmal for a 6 over midwicket and started celebrating his double hundred, but he was actually on 199. Next over Hafeez cleaned bowled Fernando, leaving Sangakarra stranded on 199. Sri Lanka ended up with a first innings total of 472.

Pakistan opened the innings with Hafeez and Taufeeq and would have been hoping for a good start from these two openers, but the Sri Lankan bowlers had other ideas and struck at regular intervals, though they were also helped by questionable decisions given by the umpires. First to go was Taufeeq Umar given LBW to Kulasekara, though it was a harsh call. Azhar followed him immediately edging one to the keeper, leaving the away side at 17/2. Hafeez and Younis Khan made a little partnership, but the captain departed few overs before the end of play, which sparked a little collapse. 

Ajmal, the night watchman, was given out caught first ball, though again it was a controversial decision from the umpire. Shafiq followed him soon after, Herath getting him caught behind. The debutant Ayub walked in under-pressure, but played well enough along with Younis Khan to ensure that no further wickets were lost before the end of play. Pakistan ended the day at 48 for the loss of 5 wickets.

Pakistan started day 2 in a good fashion, with Saeed Ajmal getting another 5fer, but was unable to get the all-important wicket of Sangakkara who stretched the Sri Lankan total to 472. The Pakistani batsmen then couldn’t respond in a fashion that they would have liked to and had the worst start ever in tests for Pakistan in Sri Lanka.

Pakistan will be counting on Younis Khan and Mohammed Ayub to make a very big partnership on day 3 and get the team out of trouble.