Advantage Pakistan

Pakistan's makeshift attack dominated the first day of the Second Test against Sri Lanka.

Inzamam-ul-Haq showed faith in his debutant opening pair by putting the visitors into bat on winning the toss, but Sanath Jayasuriya and Marvan Atapattu saw off that threat in an opening stand of 66 that only ended when Leg-spinner Danish Kaneria trapped the former leg before wicket.

He followed it by removing Atapattu a few overs later, and from then on, wickets fell steadily.

Riaz Afridi was next to strike, as he removed Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene for 13 and 16 respectively, that start of a run that saw 3 batsmen unluckily make 13.

From 106-4 Abdul Razzaq took control. He was without a Test wicket in 2004 before this game, but a superb spell of bowling saw him take a career best 5-35 from 23.1 overs, with only Romesh Kaluwitharana's 54 resisting the collapse.

The final 2 wickets fell in consecutive balls to Kaneria and Razzaq and with that the day was over, with Pakistan very much in the ascendancy and with power to build on it tomorrow with their very long batting line up.

SRI LANKA 208
Kaluwitharana 54, Razzaq 5-35, Kaneria 3-72

Posted by Marc