Skipper Angelo Mathews puts the home team in the diving seat and threaten to take the game away from Pakistan.

Overnight score: Sri Lanka 278 (Karunaratne 130 , Yasir 5-78) , Pakistan 209-9 (Sarfraz 72*)

By PakPassion Staff (5th July, 2015)

A poor batting display on Day 2 meant Pakistan had a huge task on their plate. Sarfraz was still batting out there but only had Imran Khan to support him. Pakistan added only 6 more runs to their overnight score and were bowled out for 215 giving Sri Lanka a 63 run advantage.

Pakistan opening bowlers Rahat Ali and Ehsan Adil applied good pressure swinging and seaming the new ball. Rahat bowled Karunaratne with a beautiful outswinger to square him up. Kaushal Silva soon followed after scoring 2 as he was caught in the slips off Ehsan Adil. Rahat later picked up Thirimanne for a duck to bring Sri Lanka down to 35-3. The lead had barely crossed hundred and Pakistan could sense that they are back in to this. At Lunch Sri Lanka reached 55-3 with Mathews and Tharanga, leading by 118 runs.

There was a solid partnership between Mathews and Tharanga where Tharanga scored at more than a run a ball. He was later dismissed for 48 at short leg by Yasir Shah . Jehan Mubarak and skipper Mathews then frustrated the Pakistani bowlers by picking up boundaries and runs without giving away too many chances. Yasir picked up Mubarak to get his second wicket of the match after he scored 35. Mathews continued to score to take the lead past 250 and making it increasingly difficult for the opposition.

Bad light was called as Sri Lanka ended they day on a satisfying 228-5 and a lead of 291 runs which looked difficult at 35-3. Pakistani bowlers started well but could not finish it off. Sri Lanka are in the driving seat at the moment with Mathews batting on 77* and Chandimal on 39*

Fall of Wickets Day 3:

Imran 215-10 (65.6 overs)

Karunaratne 12-1 (6.2 overs)
Silva 22-2 (7.5 overs)
Thirimanne 35-3 (10.6 overs)
Tharanga 80-4 (22.2 overs)
Mubarak 161-5 (50.2 overs)

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