Pakistan succumb in Galle

Sri Lanka celebrations begin

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First Test Match
Galle
Sri Lanka 292 (T Paranavitana 72) & 217 v Pakistan 342 (Mohammad Yousuf 112, Misbah-ul-Haq 56, N Kulasekara 4-71) & 117 (R Herath 4-15)
Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by 50 runs

Rangana Herath took four for 15 in 11.3 overs to spin Sri Lanka to a quite remarkable victory in the first Test in Galle.

Pakistan were set 168 to win the match and resumed day four requiring just 97 more with eight wickets intact, but they imploded losing all of them for the addition of 46 runs, handing Kumar Sangakkara victory in his first Test as skipper.

It means Galle has once more lived up to its reputation, as the highest score made by the side batting last to win a Test match is just six runs.

Had Pakistan won the game it would have been the third highest fourth innings score at the venue, and they appeared to be cruising as Salman Butt and first innings centurion Mohammad Yousuf took the score to 71-2 on the third evening.

Collapse

But Herath broke through in the second over of the morning, removing both batsmen in the space of four balls to spark the collapse.

Yousuf played down the wrong line and was trapped in front while Butt played a reckless slog that went straight to Tharanga Peranavitana at deep square leg.

Thilan Thushara (2-21) proved the perfect foil for Herath and the seamer removed Shoaib Malik in the next over, drawing him into a drive that caught the edge with gloveman Tillakaratne Dilshan taking the catch.

The pressure continued to build with Herath causing the new batsmen problems, but it was Thushara who reduced Pakistan to 80 for six when he had Kamran Akmal plum lbw.

Misbah-ul-Haq had made seven from 24 balls before giving away his wicket, looking for a run that wasn't there as Dilshan swiftly ran down the stumps.

Pakistan's prospects were now very poor with just four tailenders to bat, and the introduction of leg-spinner Ajantha Mendis (2-27) ended all hope of a comeback when he removed Umar Gul with his first delivery of the morning, the batsman completely misjudging a leg-break that crashed into the stumps.

Mohmmad Aamer was bamboozled by Herath as he nicked one that went straight on to Dilshan, and the spinner completed the rout by ending the spirited innings of Abdur Rauf (13 from 54 balls), who went for a big drive only to edge another one to Mahela Jayawardene at slip.

The result puts Sri Lanka 1-0 up in the three-match series with the second Test in Colombo starting on Sunday.