PCB drops Younis against S. Lanka ODI series

PALLEKELE, Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka, sent in to bat, were 272-8 in their first innings at stumps on the opening day of the third and final Test against Pakistan in Pallekele on Friday.

Leading spinner Rangana Herath, who was expected to be Pakistan’s chief tormenter after grabbing 23 scalps in two Tests against them past year, has managed only two wickets this time.

At 106 for one in the second session, Sri Lanka looked poised for a big first-innings total before Shah, who took 17 wickets in the first two matches, tormented them again with his flight and variation to claim 4-77.

Sri Lanka won the second Test at the P. Sara Oval in Colombo by seven wickets on Monday to level the series after Pakistan had take the first match in Galle by 10 wickets.

Lahiru Thirimanne joined Karunaratne for a 27-run stand which ended when the ex- holed out to mid-off to give Yasir a second scalp and Angelo Mathews went in the spinner’s next over in identical fashion for just three.

Yasir enabled Pakistan to keep the runs in check despite conditions favouring the batsmen on the evenly-paced pitch after the initial moisture on the wicket had dried up under the hot Sunday.

Dimuth Karunaratne was unbeaten on 70 and Jehan Mubarak was on nine after Yasir Shah grabbed three wickets when Sri Lanka resumed after lunch on 85 for one.

KANDY: Sri Lanka will play a Test without batting greats Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene for the first time in 15 years when the team meets Pakistan for the series decider.

Both sides made four changes each in a bid to break the 1-1 deadlock.

Also dominated out of the collection was spinning allrounder Haris Sohail, who injured his knee on the tour of Sri Lanka, lacking all three Tests.

In addition, Pakistan also dropped Zulfiqar Babar and Junaid Khan to include Rahat, Ehsan Adil and Imran Khan, alongside opener Shan Masood.

Sri Lanka recalled two left-handers in Tharanga and 34-year-old Mubarak, who played the last of his 10 Tests in December 2007 – before any of his current teammates had made their debut.

Ali then snared Karunaratne and Dhammika Prasad (0) in back-to-back balls – the former’s impressive innings coming to an end when he drove forward only to be undone by a googly.

Irfan admitted that the injury to fellow fast bowler Wahab Riaz had hit Pakistan’s chances but hoped the side will get its act together and win the series in order to ease their qualification passage to the 2017 Champions Trophy.