Sri Lanka clinch draw against Pakistan

On the fifth and final day of the first test, Sri Lanka resumed 298-5 as they tried to wipe out a formidable first innings deficit of 314 at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium.Sri Lanka batted until an hour after tea before being bowled out for 483.Pakistan refused to be tempted by a victory target of 170 off 21 overs and ended on 21-1.Sangakkara and Jayawardene stretched their sixth wicket partnership to 201 over the first two sessions.Sangakkara, 161 overnight, turned his 26th test century into an eighth double ton midway through the day.Playing in his 101st test, the 33-year-old left-hander confidently blasted 18 fours in an innnings which lasted almost 11 hours.Wicketkeeper Jayawardene who notched his fourth test century soon afterwards looked equally comfortable, hitting 12 fours. It was great to come out of the pressure and get the side through to a total that was safe in the end, Sangakkara said. It was nice to finally get out of the hole we dug ourselves.Both Sangakkara and Jayawardene were dropped on the fourth day, among six catches floored by Pakistan in the innings.Pakistan got a glimmer of hope by dismissing Sangakkara in the last over before the tea interval. Leg-spinner Azhar Ali provided the breakthrough, trapping the left-hander leg before wicket.Sangakkara and Jayawardenes stand was worth 201, a sixth wicket record for Sri Lanka against Pakistan, erasing the previous mark of 121 between Aravinda de Silva and Arjuna Ranatunga in Faisalabad in 1985.Jayawardene and Rangana Herath added 32 for the seventh wicket to further frustrate Pakistan in the final session.Herath, who ended 23 not out, should have fallen on 10 but Umar Gul grassed a simple chance at mid-off off Junaid Khan.Once Pakistan took the third new ball, four wickets fell for 17 runs to provide hope of a thrilling chase.Pacer Aizaz Cheema finally broke the resistance of Jayawardene when he edged through to wicketkeeper Adnan Akmal at 466-7.Umar Gul (4-64) then claimed Chanaka Welegedara, who also edged behind, and Suranga Lakmal, who lost his middle stump to a yorker.When last man Nuwan Pradeep was run out without facing a ball, the small crowd sensed an interesting end.But Pakistan played it safe, declining the challenge of scoring more than eight runs an over to secure a victory.Pakistan lost first innings double centurion Taufeeq Umar (2) before the close as Chanaka Welegedara gained an lbw verdict.Mohammad Hafeez (12 not out) and Azhar Ali (4 not out) survived to the close. The second test begins in Dubai on Wednesday.