Sri Lanka reduced Pakistan to 191 for 7 wickets as the visitors trailed by 187 runs in reply to the hosts 378 at stumps on the second day of the second Test match of the World Test Championship at the Galle International Stadium on Monday. (PARA 2) Pakistan was all at sea crumbling to the spin of Ramesh Mendis 3 for 42 and Prabath Jayasuriya 2 for 59. The day very much belonged to the 27-year old Mendis who came up with a creditable all-round performance having scored a plucky 35 inclusive of 4 boundaries and a six having taken strike at No. 9 with the score on 333 for 8.

Ramesh Mendis, who turned 27 on July 7, accounted for the wickets of Mohammad Rizwan and Fawad Alam both leg before wicket for 24 each respectively as Pakistan lost the fifth wicket for 119 by the first ball of the 42nd over and sixth off the fourth ball of the 70th over. That was after pace bowler Asitha Fernando had triggered the collapse clean bowling Abdullah Shafique, Pakistan’s match winning century maker in the first Test, for a second ball duck of the very first over of the innings.

The precipitation was then hastened by orthodox left-armer Prabath Jayasuriya who took the prize wicket of Pakistan captain Babar Azam who was also bowled with the score on 35 by the fourth delivery of the 10th over. The third wicket pair of Imam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Rizwan took the score to 65 when Haq was bowled by Dhananjaya de Silva who has a reputation as a breakthrough bowler. The first three Pakistani wickets had all been bowled victims with that of Haq falling to the second ball of the 19th over.