JOIN USMahela Jayawardene remained unbeaten on 49 in his farewell innings after spinner Rangana Herath's career best figures of nine for 127 gave Sri Lanka control of the second Test against Pakistan on Saturday.
Jayawardene, playing his last Test, added 98 for the unbroken third-wicket partnership with his long-standing partner Kumar Sangakkara (54 n.o.) as Sri Lanka ended the third day against Pakistan on 177 for two wickets.
Sri Lanka, leading the two-Test series 1-0, took an overall lead of 165 runs with eight wickets in hand and two days of the Test match remaining. Sangakkara and Jayawardene negotiated the Pakistan bowling, without injured Junaid Khan, skillfully on a turning track to put their team in a strong position at the end of the day.
Left-handed Sangakkara, who hit four boundaries, reached his 51st Test half century before the close. Jayawardene, with whom Sangakkara has associated in 46 half-century partnerships, hit seven fours during his 123-ball knock.
Earlier, Herath's heroics restricted Pakistan's first innings lead to 12 runs with wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed scoring his maiden Test century.
SRI LANKA (I Innings): 320 PAKISTAN (I Innings, O/n: 244-6):Manzoor c Dickwella b Herath23Shehzad c Dickwella b D Perera58 Ali c Mathews b Herath32 Younis c Dickwella b Herath13 Misbah c Dickwella b Herath5 Shafiq b Herath42Sarfraz c Dickwella b Herath103 Rehman c Jayawardene b Herath16Riaz c Welegedara b Herath17Ajmal b Herath4Junaid (not out)13 Extras (LB-3, NB-3)6Total (all out, 93.1 overs)332Fall of wickets: 1-47, 2-110, 3-122, 4-131, 5-140, 6-233, 7-273, 8-301, 9-315.Bowling: Dammika Prasad 16-4-53-0, Chanaka Welegedara 18-2-65-0, Rangana Herath 33.1-3-127-9, Angelo Mathews 9-1-21-0, Kusal Perera 17-1-63-1.SRI LANKA (II Innings):Tharanga b Rehman45Silva c Younis b Rehman17 Sangakkara (batting)54Jayawardene (batting)49Extras (B-9, LB-1, NB-1, W-1)12Total (for 2 wkts, 63 overs)177Fall of wickets: 1-54, 2-79.Bowling: Wahab Riaz 14-1-50-0, Abdur Rehman 24-3-65-2, Saeed Ajmal 23-5-47-0, Ahmed Shehzad 2-0-5-0.