Sri Lanka seize control of final Test
AFP
AFP, PALLEKELE (Sri Lanka): Pakistans brittle top-order undid the good work of leg-spinner Yasir Shah as Sri Lanka seized control of the series-deciding third and final Test in Pallekele on Saturday.
Having been bowled out for 278 in the first innings, Sri Lanka hit back to reduce Pakistan to 209-9 by stumps on the second day that saw 11 wickets fall on the evenly-paced pitch.
Nuwan Pradeep grabbed 3-26 in 14 steady overs and fellow seamer Dhammika Prasad chipped in another three wickets to cause a dramatic Pakistani collapse.
Sarfraz Ahmed returned unbeaten on a gallant 72 and Azhar Ali made 52, but none of the other batsmen settled down to form a sizeable partnership.
Last man Imran Khan, who got to bat for the first time in five Test matches, kept Sarfraz company at close on zero.
Pakistan were struggling at 152-7 when Yasir helped Sarfraz add 45 for the eighth wicket, himself contributing 18 with the bat to follow his impressive bowling.
Yasir claimed another five-wicket haul as Sri Lanka added six runs to their overnight score of 272-8 before they were dismissed within 20 minutes of the start.
Tharindu Kaushal was leg-before to left-arm seamer Rahat Ali for 18 and last man Pradeep fell in the same fashion to Yasir without scoring.
Yasir finished with 5-78, joining his idol Shane Warne as the only overseas bowlers to claim five or more wickets in an innings three times during a Test series in Sri Lanka.
Yasir had taken 2-79 and 7-76 in the first Test in Galle to fashion Pakistans 10-wicket win. He then claimed 6-96 and 2-55 in the second match in Colombo which Sri Lanka won by seven wickets.
The 29-year-old, who hails from the Khyber region of northwest Pakistan, has already grabbed 59 wickets in a 10-Test career which began in October last year.
