By Srian Obeyesekere
A disastrous run out of opening batsman Nishan Madushka off the fourth delivery of the third over when skipper Dimuth Karunaratne called for a needless quick run sparked a collapse with the frontline batting caving in as Sri Lanka was shot out for 166 by Pakistan on the opening day of the second test match at the Sinhalese Sports Club Grounds on Monday. Trailing 1-0 having lost the first test, it was indeed a sorry state of affairs in a must win game on a batting friendly track with Pakistan in the box seat at 145 for 2 with Abdullah Shafique well set on 74 off 99 nclusive of 7 boundaries and a six having shared in a second-wicket partnership of 108 with Shan Masood who made 51 containing 4 boundaries and a six.
The Madushka run out at the very start of a game covering five days was questionable where the priority should have been to preserve one’s wicket than going for a quick run and paying the price. Madushka had been seeing the ball well and getting into shape when disaster struck having struck a boundary and faced 9 deliveries and was certainly a bad blow the way he went out given his long staying ability that has propelled the 22-year old to the big stage. His second innings half century in the first test did underscore the pluck in the youngster. The failure of one drop Kusal Mendis who exited for a duck mistiming Shasheen Shah Afridi also contributed to the Lankan debacle in a clear let down of manning the pivotal No.3 role.
As it was, the Lankan frontline precipitated barring a fighting half century by Dhananjaya de Silva who made a fighting 57 off 68 balls to revive the innings in putting on 85 runs for the fifth wicket with Dinesh Chandimal who scored 34 off 60 with 4 boundaries. Karunaratne made 17 off 37 with 3 boundaries before beinbg boswled by Naseem Shah who took 3 wickets for 41 including those of Angelo Mathews caught behind by Sarfaraz Ahmed for 9 to a loose stroke edging from outside off stump and Dinesh Chandimal who undid the good work by attempting to loft the bowler and spooning to Imam-ul-Haq. Sadeera Samarawickrama was bugged by form falling a third time the same way caught for a duck at short leg by Abdullah Shafique off Abrar Ahmed who was the pick of Pakistan’s bowlers claiming 4 for 69 including the prize wicket of Dhananjaya de Silva who fell trying to clear the ropes on the leg side and holing out to Saud Shakeel. De Silva hit 9 boundaries and a six in once again top scoring for the Lankans as he had done in the first test won by Pakistan despite scoring a fighting century.
Asitha Fernando, who came in for Vishwa Fernando, claimed both wickets to fall that of Imam-ul-Haq caught by a diving Nishan Madushka and Masood whom he had caught by Kusal Mendis.
Dilshan Madushka, a replacement for Kasun Rajitha, had sent down 5.3 overs for 28 runs.
CHIEF SCORES:
Sri Lanka 166 (48.4 Overs)
(Dhananjaya de Silva 57, Dinesh Chandimal 34, Ramesh Mendis 27, Dimuth Karunaratne 17, Abrar Ahmed 4/69, Naseem Shah 3/41, Shasheen Shah Afridi 1/44)
Pakistan 145/2 (28.3 Overs)
(Abdullah Shafique n.o. 74, Shan Masood 51, Babar Azam n.o. 8, Asitha Fernando 2/41)
