Pakistan began day 3 needing 225 to avoid the follow on, with their most experienced and least experienced batsmen at the crease. It was undoubtedly Sri Lanka's day yet again, and Pakistan will need a big contribution from Younis Khan if they are to get anything from this match, even if it's just some pride.

 24th June 2012 

Pakistan began day 3 needing 225 to avoid the follow on, with their most experienced and least experienced batsmen at the crease. Younis Khan and Mohammad Ayub began well, looking solid in defence, but the poor umpiring continued when Younis was given out LBW despite getting an inside edge on the ball.

Mohammad Ayub had played a very slow innings due to the tight lines of the Sri Lankan bowlers, but he showed his skill when he cashed in on some width provided by Fernando to take two boundaries in the over. Adnan Akmal, who had played some useful innings in the past, was involved in an unfortunate mixup, and was run out when both batsmen ended up at the same end.

At 87/7, it didn't look like the innings would last much longer. Abdul Rehman and Ayub were both out LBW to the spinners, before Umar Gul looked to attack and could only manage a leading edge. Pakistan were 100 all out, 372 behind, but the prospect of an innings defeat was nullified when Jayawardene decided not to enforce the follow-on.

When the Sri Lankans came out to bat, Dilshan continued where he left off in the first innings. Any width was cut ferociously to the boundary, and even Paranavitana chipped in with sixes off both Rehman and Ajmal. The 50 partnership was brought up in the 11th over, and the frustration was clear amongst the Pakistani bowlers and fielders.

The breakthrough, yet again, was provided by Ajmal. Paranavitana was outdone by a doosra, the ball hitting the back pad right in front of the stumps. Three balls later, Junaid Khan finally made a contribution to the game when Dilshan was given out, but that brought Sangakarra and Jayawardene together at the crease.

Sangakarra reached his 200th run of the match, but he was to go no further as Ajmal deceived him with a flighted delivery, and all the batsman could do was chip an easy catch to cover. By tea, Sri Lanka had extended the lead to a mammoth 465.

Junaid Khan continued to toil away, but most of his short bowling was handled easily on a slow pitch. Eventually the short stuff did work though, when Jayawardene looked to uppercut over the slips and could only succeed in gloving the ball to the keeper. Junaid then picked up his 3rd, a ball angled across Samaraweera taking his edge, and Younis Khan took a sharp catch in the slips. A few overs later, Jayawardene brought Pakistan's misery to an end, as he declared leaving the batting side 510 runs to win.

Mohammad Hafeez's poor series continued as we was dismissed after just 18 balls. Kulasekara's nagging line was too much for him, a loose drive taking his edge and carrying to Jayawardene in the slips. Azhar Ali and Taufeeq Umar did their best to keep out some testing bowling from Herath and Kulasekara, but Azhar eventually fell when he edged to gully. Taufeeq had tried to negate Kulasekara's movement by standing way out of his crease, but the moment the keeper came up to the stumps, he was bowled through the gate to leave Pakistan in disarray at 25/3.

Saeed Ajmal did his job by keeping the majority of the strike till the end of the day, as Pakistan finished on 36/3, needing another 474 to win. It was undoubtedly Sri Lanka's day yet again, and Pakistan will need a big contribution from Younis Khan if they are to get anything from this match, even if it's just some pride.