Pellekele – Sri Lanka suffered a top order collapse in their second innings to slump to 55 for three wickets at lunch, a lead of 118, on the third day of the third and final test against Pakistan at Pellekele on Sunday.
Pakistan’s left-arm paceman Rahat Ali pegged back the off stump of Dimuth Karunaratne, the hosts’ first innings centurion, and Lahiru Thirimanne in a brilliant display of swing bowling.
His new ball colleague Ehsan Adil induced an edge from Kaushal Silva to claim the other Sri Lanka wicket to fall on a stop-start morning interrupted by several rain delays.
At the interval, Upul Tharanga was unbeaten after a breezy 29 with skipper Angelo Mathews (12) at the other end, as the hosts sought to rebuild their second innings in the series-deciding contest.
Earlier, Sarfraz Ahmed remained not out after a defiant 78 as Pakistan conceded a 63-run first innings deficit when the tourists lost their last wicket to be all out for 215.
Spinner Tharindu Kaushal deceived the scoreless Imran Khan with a straighter delivery that hit the off stump, leaving Sarfraz stranded as Pakistan could only add six runs to their overnight 209-9. – Reuters