1st Test: Pakistan’s Galle reply in tatters

Sri Lankan fast-bowler Nuwan Kulasekara celebrates as his early inroads tamed Pakistan on the second day of the first Test match. PHOTO: AFP

GALLE: Kumar Sangakkara was stranded on 199 even as Sri Lanka took charge of the first cricket Test against Pakistan in Galle yesterday.

The left-hander’s monumental nine-hour effort saw the hosts recover from 335 from five in the morning session to post 472 in their first-innings on the second day. Pakistan were tottering at 48 for five in reply at stumps with seamer Nuwan Kulasekara and off-spinner Suraj Randiv both taking two wickets each off successive deliveries.

Kulasekara removed opener Taufeeq Umar and Azhar Ali, while Randiv dismissed skipper Mohammad Hafeez (20) and nightwatchman Saeed Ajmal in gloomy conditions. Asad Shafiq fell to Rangana Herath, leaving veteran Younus Khan unbeaten on 15 with Pakistan still 225 runs away from saving the follow-on.

Celebrating’ the double

Sangakkara missed out on his ninth double-century in Test cricket partly due to an error in the scoreboard on the ground which showed him on 194 when his score was actually on 193.

With last man Nuwan Pradeep at the other end, Sangakkara smashed Ajmal for a six and raised his arms in celebrations believing he had reached the coveted double-century.

Teammates, who saw the correct score on television, immediately signalled to Sankgakkara that he still needed one more run. Unable to get a run off the last ball of the over, Sangakkara could only watch from the non-striker’s end as Pradeep was bowled by Hafeez for no score in the next over.

Missing 200 ‘part of game’, says Sangakkara

Sangakkara, who was on 182 when the ninth wicket fell, scored all the 17 runs in the last-wicket stand, but found himself agonisingly short of the coveted mark.

“I don’t think I can repeat here what I was thinking then,” he said. “The ideal thing is to shut your eyes, take a deep breath and try and move on.

“There is nothing really one can do in the circumstances. It’s all part of the game. But I would still like to remember this day in a positive way. Today is my father’s birthday and making something close to 200 means I won’t have to buy him a gift.”

Sangakkara already has eight double hundreds in his 29 three-figure knocks in Test cricket.

“The way our bowlers bowled made up for the disappointment of not getting a double. This is not an easy pitch to bat on and I am just happy in the position we are in.”

K Sangakkara

“There is nothing really one can do in the circumstances. It’s all part of the game. But I would still like to remember this day in a positive way. Today is my father’s birthday and making something close to 200 means I won’t have to buy him a gift.”

Published In The Express Tribune, June 24^th, 2012.