Poor get poorer
As always, given the inequities built into the global economic system, the poorest people in the world have been the…
associated press
Abu Dhabi, 31 December
Pakistan took an early advantage after fast bowlers Junaid Khan and debutant Bilawal Bhatti bowled out Sri Lanka for 204 on Tuesday on the opening day of the first Test.Captain Angelo Mathews launched a counterattack by hitting 91 off 147 balls with 15 fours to give the total some respectability before he was the last man to be dismissed. Pakistan was 46-1 at stumps with debutant Ahmed Shehzad unbeaten on 25. Khurram Manzoor was run out in the last over.
Khan (5-58) had his fourth five-wicket haul against Sri Lanka while Bhatti (3-65) made an impressive debut by claiming three wickets in eight balls after lunch, which started a dramatic collapse as Sri Lanka lost seven wickets for 57 runs.
Bhatti had Mahela Jaywardene (5) caught behind and Khan got the vital wicket of prolific run-scorer Kumar Sangakkara (16) as Sri Lanka’s experienced batsmen looked rusty from their nine-month break of Test matches since last competing against Bangladesh in March. Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq won the toss on a greenish wicket of Sheikh Zayed Stadium but Dimuth Karunaratne (38) and Kaushal Silva (20) provided a solid start of 57 runs. Karunaratne was quick to punish any over pitched delivery and Sri Lanka scored a brisk 50 runs in the first hour off fast bowlers Khan, Bhatti and Rahat Ali. Karunaratne hit five fours before Asad Shafiq took a brilliant catch off Khan to remove him but Sri Lanka still managed to have a decent start of 66-1 by lunch. Pakistan also lost one of its two television referrals when they thought Khan had found the outside edge of Silva’s bat on 18, but TV umpire Sundaram Ravi upheld the not out decision. In a stunning turnaround after lunch, Bhatti ignited the collapse when he had Silva (20), Mahela Jayawardene (5) and Dinesh Chandimal (0) dismissed in eight balls.
Advertisement
