Pakistan v Sri Lanka - Third Test

Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore

Pakistan: Majid Khan, Mohsin Khan, Ijaz Ahmed, Javed Miandad, Mushtaq Mohammad, Asif Iqbal, *Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Sarfraz Nawaz, +Wasim Bari, Iqbal Qasim.
Sri Lanka: RS Mahanama, UC Hathurusingha, AP Gurusinha, RL Dias, PA de Silva, *A Ranatunga, +RS Kaluwitharana, JR Ratnayeke, HDPK Dharmasena, RJ Ratnayake, GP Wickramasinghe.

Debuts: UC Hathurusingha (SL)
Umpires: BL Aldridge (NZL) & VK Ramaswamy (IND)
Toss: Pakistan

The Gaddafi Stadium was sparsely populated throughout the duration of the third and final Test, but there was plenty of entertainment on offer for the few fans that bothered to show up. Pakistan, who were fielding Sarfraz Nawaz and Iqbal Qasim in place of the under-performing Fazal Mahmood and Abdul Qadir, rattled up an impressive 342 runs on day one, but equally impressive was the fact that the Sri Lankans had managed to claim eight wickets during that time, with Ravi Ratnayeke going on to claim the first five wicket haul in the visitors' history as the innings closed for the addition of just six further runs on the second morning.

The Sri Lankan bowlers stuck to their task admirably, and a succession of home batsmen got themselves out to shots of which they would not be proud. Ijaz was one such culprit, caught on the boundary off the recalled Dharmasena seven runs short of what would have been a maiden ATG century, and it was not until the arrival of Asif Iqbal at the crease that we were treated to some composed, measured batsmanship. Asif eventually fell to the second new ball, bowled by an excellent off-cutter from Ratnayake for 71, but Sarfraz continued to enjoy himself and was eventually last out for 48 on would prove to be a most eventful second day.

Mahanama and debutant Hathurusingha gave Sri Lanka's reply a solid foundation, but after lunch came with the score on 91-1, the innings imploded in the afternoon session as Mushtaq Mohammad ran through the card in spectacular fashion. Mahanama was bowled shortly after the resumption for 64, Iqbal Qasim getting his revenge after being struck for two huge, straight sixes before the interval, then Mushtaq took over with a spell of 6-12 in the space of 26 deliveries, the Sri Lankans having no answer to his flighted leg spin. In the midst of his amazing spell, Mushtaq also claimed the first ever hat-trick in ATG history by dismissing Gurusinha, Ratnayeke and Dharmasena with the third, fourth and fifth balls of his sixth over, Dharmasena providing Sarfraz with a steepling catch in the covers that left hearts in mouths for what seemed like an eternity before the celebrations could begin.

Sri Lanka were eventually dismissed for 194 to give Pakistan a 154 run first innings lead, and after Majid and Mohsin were both nipped out before stumps to complete a second day's play on which 14 wickets had fallen, the third day was all about Javed Miandad as his second century of the series dispelled any fanciful thoughts of winning the game that the tourists may have still harboured. Wickets fell regularly throughout the day as Sri Lanka's seamers again bowled with admirable perseverance, but Javed was the glue that held the innings together, and when he was ninth out for 112, after a 61 run stand with Sarfraz that just about hammered the final nail into Sri Lanka's coffin, Pakistan's lead exceeded 400 and the tourists' chance had gone.

Rumesh Ratnayake trumped his near namesake's efforts in the first innings by recording figures of 6-92, but unfortunately for Sri Lanka their batsmen failed to show anything like the same levels of application in their second innings, and with the scoreboard reading 86-4 at the end of day three, the writing was very much on the wall. Aravinda de Silva had fallen for a silky 46 in the day's last over, gated by a turning ball from Qasim, and without his presence the remainder of the order crumbled on day four, two stoppages for rain the only impediment to a decisive Pakistani victory. It was pace rather than spin that did for the Lankans this time, and Imran and Akram shared nine wickets between them as the innings subsided to a paltry total of 126. Sri Lanka's batting had let them down badly after it had been their strongest suit in the first two Tests, and Pakistan's series sweep, sadly celebrated in front of just a handful of spectators, was both predictable and deserved.

1st & 2nd innings scorecards
(click to enlarge)

Scores
PAK 1st Inns 348 (Ijaz Ahmed 93, Asif Iqbal 71, Sarfraz Nawaz 48; Ratnayeke 5-62)
SL 1st Inns 194 (Mahanama 64; Mushtaq Mohammad 6-29)
PAK 2nd Inns 255 (Javed Miandad 112; Ratnayake 6-92)
SL 2nd Inns 126 (PA de Silva 46; Imran Khan 5-37, Wasim Akram 4-42)

PAKISTAN WON BY 283 RUNS


Man of the Match: Mushtaq Mohammad