Summary Sri Lanka started fifth day's play at 69/4.
ABU DHABI (Dunya News/ AFP) – Pakistan have on Monday bowled Sri Lanka out for 138 runs on the fifth and final day of first Test match at Lunch, and require 136 to take lead in the two-match series.
Pakistan resumed the day at Sheikh Zayed Stadium with early breakthroughs as fast bowler Mohammad Abbas picked up couple of quick wickets.
Sri Lanka started fifth day’s play at 69/4. Kusal Mendis, on 16, began the proceedings with nightwatchman Suranga Lakmal who was on two. Mendis was soon dismissed (18) by Abbas, leaving Sri Lanka at 73/5.
The nightwatchman also could not resist much and was soon sent back to pavilion by the right-arm pacer who picked up his second scalp of the day as well as of the second innings. Sri Lanka lost their sixth wicket on 86.
Yasir Shah then picked up two wickets in two balls by dismissing Dilruwan Perera (6) and Rangana Herath (0), and took his wickets tally for the innings to four. Sri Lanka, 101/8.
Shah completed his five-wicket haul by claiming the wicket of Lakshan Sandakan (8), leaving Sri Lanka at 135/9. Hasan Ali picked up the final wicket of Nuwan Pradeep (0) on 138 as Sri Lanka set Pakistan the target of 136 runs to win the first Test match.
Earlier, Pakistan leg-spinner Yasir Shah grabbed the key wicket of Dinesh Chandimal to leave Sri Lanka fighting to avoid defeat after the fourth day.
The prolific wicket-taker took 2-25 as Sri Lanka struggled to 69-4, needing a rearguard action to save the Test.
Pakistan are expecting to push for victory in the opening match of a two-Test series on the final day.
It was tough to negotiate spin on a fourth-day Sheikh Zayed Stadium pitch, but despite a 32nd Test five-wicket haul for veteran Sri Lankan spinner Rangana Herath, Pakistan posted 422 to take a slender three-run lead.
Sri Lanka had made 419 in their first innings.
Herath’s 5-93 in 40 overs were well foiled by a brilliant 76 by Test debutant Haris Sohail, as initially it looked as though Sri Lanka would take a first-innings lead.
Pakistan then hit back in the second innings through Shah, who first had opener Dimuth Karunaratne caught for 10 and then dismissed first-innings centurion Chandimal, caught at slip, for seven.
Sohail followed his responsible knock by claiming Kaushal Silva s wicket, whom he trapped leg before for 25, while part-timer Asad Shafiq had Lahiru Thirimanne for seven.
The 28-year-old Sohail’s impressive Test bow has come despite a career-threatening knee injury which required surgery in 2015.
"The last two years were tough for me as there was a lot of talk on my injury," he said.
"But thankfully I am here and played a responsible knock. I was under pressure because we needed to take the lead, so I had to play a responsible knock which I did."
Earlier in the day, Pakistan too were struggling at 316-6 and were in danger of conceding a healthy lead with Herath using all his experience and guile.
The 39-year-old left-arm spinner, who now has 394 wickets in 84 Tests, gave his team the much-needed wicket of a resolute Azhar Ali, luring him into an uppish drive which was brilliantly caught at short mid-wicket by a diving Mendis.
Azhar’s defiant knock of 85 lasted more than five hours and included four boundaries, but with his dismissal Pakistan’s hopes of building a lead looked slim.
But Sohail had other ideas as he added an invaluable 50 for the ninth wicket with tail-ender Hasan Ali to lift Pakistan from 340-8.
Sohail hit seven fours and two sixes before holing out to paceman Nuwan Pradeep, who finished with 2-77.
Hasan’s whirlwind 25-ball 29 featured three sixes and two fours.
The second and final Test -- a day-night affair -- will be played in Dubai from October 6.
