Sri Lanka in control

Dubai : Sri Lanka retained control of the Test, and by extension the series, thanks to Dimuth Karunaratne’s 196 and a pair of sprightly fifties from Niroshan Dickwella and Dilruwan Perera. Pakistan’s small victories, however, ensured the dream of a squared series endures into day three. For them, Yasir Shah claimed 6 for 184, becoming the first spinner to take five-wicket hauls in five successive Tests. 

Openers Sami Aslam and Shan Masood then moved the team to 42 for no loss in response to Sri Lanka’s 484. 

Sure, the hosts have a mountain to scale, but have at least begun the ascent without incident.

Karunaratne fitted Sri Lanka’s mighty innings with its spine, though, but to summarise his 63 runs on day two is to re-hash the account of his progress from day one. He was strong off his legs again, flicking deliciously, and pulling the ball with excellent control. He defused Yasir Shah judiciously again, routinely getting inside the line of the ball to work him towards square leg. 

At the end of the innings, his wagon wheel showed and unsurprising preference for the legside - 140 of his runs and 13 off his 20 boundaries coming on that side of the pitch. There were a couple of Yasir balls that took his inside edge, but on each occasion, he got enough bat on ball to send the ball wide of the close fielders.

The disappointment, of course, is that he surpassed his previous best - 187 against West Indies - but still did not progress to that maiden double hundred. This was largely because he was pinned down by Wahab Riaz in that period. Having failed to score off 14 of the 17 balls Wahab bowled to him after he got to 190, Karunaratne poked at a short delivery that came back slightly off the seam. The ball took his inside edge, hit his thigh pad, and clattered into his stumps.