SL vs PAK, 2nd Test, Day 4: Stumps Pakistan 89 for 1 (Imam 46*, Babar 26*, Jayasuriya 1-46) and 231 path Sri Lanka 378 and 360 for 8 by 419 runs.

Sri Lanka acquired a basically unassailable situation in the second Test, as Dhananjaya de Silva hit a 10th Test century, and Dimuth Karunaratne and Ramesh Mendis went along with him in substantial partnerships.

However, they were simply ready to take one Pakistan wicket before an awful light set in, and 26 overs were lost to the day. Perhaps because Pakistan had chased down 342 in the first Test, Sri Lanka had held on until their lead had extended to 507 preceding their second innings. They will presently be under critical strain to guarantee early wickets on day five, to allow themselves an opportunity of evening out the series.

The highlight of Sri Lanka’s second innings was de Silva’s 126-run stand with Karunaratne

Who himself struck half-century in spite of noticeably battling with a back sprain. The pair had met up with the score on 116 for 5 on the third day, and had placed on 59 together by stumps.

Early on day four, they each had a little luck. De Silva had mis-hit a cut shot against Hasan Ali in the second over, and within edge passed hazardously near the stumps. Karunaratne then, at that point, played back to Nauman Ali’s first ball of the day, and would have been lbw had the umpire given him out on the field. Eventually, Pakistan inspected, and Karunaratne was saved by an umpire’s call on line.

Ultimately, however, the batters settled and the runs started to stream. De Silva utilised the sweep to great impact, once trudging Yasir Shah over midwicket for four, while Karunaratne utilised the opposite clear to get to discharge space behind point. Generally, however, the players linked to utilise their feet to track down the single choices. Karunaratne raised his half-century off the 97th ball he confronted; de Silva off his 102nd, two overs later.

Karunaratne was out to a magnificent reflex catch at short leg by Shafique, off Nauman’s bowling. However, by that stage, the pair had conveyed Sri Lanka to an inconceivably solid position. De Silva went to lunch on 84, and required just 16 balls to finish his hundred in the partnership of Ramesh, as he tracked down square boundaries on one or the other side of the pitch effortlessly against the spinners.

On a pitch that wasn’t taking significant turn yet, Pakistan’s spinners couldn’t put Sri Lanka under tension reliably on day four. Seamer Naseem Shah, who had bowled a brilliant spell toward the beginning of the day, returned Pakistan’s best figures of 2 for 44 from his 12.5 overs.

Pakistan made a splendid beginning to the fourth innings, regardless of whether both Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq lived perilously on occasion. Shafique was nearly gotten at short leg off the bowling of Asitha Fernando, albeit that delivery was considered a no-ball regardless. Sri Lanka then raised solid lbw requests against Imam, however none were ready to survey.

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Having been scorched by Shafique in the first Test, Sri Lanka were excited to see him commit a mistake in this fourth innings. Having seen out 50 balls, he ran at Prabath Jayasuriya to attempt to send him over mid-off, maybe trying to drive Sri Lanka to spread the field. 

Having not exactly got to the pitch of the ball, he mis-hit it high out of sight. Dunith Wellalage ran back from mid-on to get under the high, twirling get, much to his colleagues’ pleasure.

Imam and Babar Azam owned Pakistan until the light blurred, as often as possible searching for runs, regardless of whether a Pakistan triumph appears to be virtually unattainable. By stumps Imam had moved to 46 off 80; Babar to 26 off 38.