Kaneria turns it around for Pakistan

By pratik
for Cricketain.com

Published: July 22, 2009

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Rahul Bajaj

Colombo: Danish Kaneria has just been a tourist on this trip for Pakistan so far. And it’s strange to believe that because he is by far their best spinner at the moment and he has proved his worth as soon as he got his first opportunity on this tour. Kaneria came back into the team with a bang giving a superb display of leg spin bowling and picking up 5-62 to hand Pakistan a lead of 66 runs in the first innings.

Pakistan started Day 2 at the overnight score of 289/7 but their tail could not provide any resistance and they were bowled out for 299.  Thushara putting in a brilliant performance with the ball for Sri Lanka and ending with figures of 5-83 while Manzoor and Mohammad Yousuf were the top scorers for Pakistan scoring 93 and 90 respectively.

In reply, Sri Lanka didn’t get off to a good start losing their first two wickets inside 6 overs. At 23-2, the two most experienced batsmen for Sri Lanka, Kumara Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardena came together at the crease and took charge of the proceedings. They put on a partnership of 40 but Sri Lanka lost Sangakkara just before lunch lbw to Saeed Ajmal for 45 of just 56 balls.

In the meantime, Jayawardena continued his love affair with this ground where he had hit four successive test hundreds. He made his 14th fifty-plus score on this ground – a record for a batsman at any venue. Mahela along with the young Angelo Matthews put together a partnership to rescue Sri Lanka from the depths of 82-4. But, with the Pakistan slow bowlers bowling beautifully, it was a real fight for survival as they troubled all the Sri Lankan batsmen.

Matthews did play his natural attacking game right from the outset. But at a personal score of 31 he was sucked into the trap by Danish Kaneria getting Matthews to edge a full turning leg-break.

The rest of the team couldn’t do much apart from Tillakratne Dilshan who made a gutsy 44. But the star of the show for Sri Lanka was Mahela Jayawardena who made a classy 79 and it was largely due to his knock that Sri Lanka got to 233. But after being treated for cramps, Jayawardena missed a straighter one by Danish Kaneria and was bowled neck and crop. For Pakistan, Danish Kaneria ended with figures of 5-62 with Saeed Ajmal providing good support and picking up 3-70.

By the end of the second day, Pakistan had lost one wicket in the second innings that of Khurram Manzoor who was bowled by Herath for 2. Fawad Alam and Younis Khan made sure that Pakistan didn’t lose any more wickets and ended the day at 16 for 1.

With the pitch starting to turn square, a lead of 66 runs may come in very handy for Pakistan. Even a target of 220 in the last innings on this pitch may turn out to be a match winning total.

Scores:

Pakistan 299 (Manzoor 93, Yousuf 90, Thushara 5-83) and 16 for 1 (Alam 14*, Younis 0*) lead

Sri Lanka 233 (Jayawardene 79, Dilshan 44, Kaneria 5-62, Ajmal 3-70) by 82 runs

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