Junaid Grabs Five Wickets As Pakistan Take Control

Abu Dhabi, UAE, Oct 18: Left-arm pacer Junaid Khan grabbed 5-38 Tuesday as Pakistan toppled Sri Lanka for 197 to seize an early advantage in the first cricket test at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium.

The Pakistanis replied solidly with 27-0 at close on a sun-baked opening day.

Mohammad Hafeez was unbeaten on 17 while left-hander Taufeeq Umar was 8 not out.

Earlier, the 21-year-old Junaid grabbed his maiden five-wicket haul to derail the Sri Lankans after a solid start.

Junaid, in only his second test, was well supported by off-spinner Saeed Ajmal (2-56) and fellow seamers Umar Gul (2-37) and Aizaz Cheema (1-51).

Only Angelo Mathews, with an assured, unbeaten 52 off 99 balls managed long-term resistance for the visitors. The 24-year-old vice-captain struck four fours and one six in two hours, ten minutes.

Sri Lanka began slowly but steadily after being sent in with openers Tharanga Paranavitana and Lahiru Thirimanne adding 48 in just under two hours.

Pakistan finally struck just before lunch as Ajmal produced a flatter doosra that Thirimanne edged to Younus Khan at slip. Thirimanne, who made 20, was boundary-free in his 69-ball effort.

Cheema supplied another crucial breakthrough with the scalp of Kumar Sangakkara in the second over after lunch as Sri Lanka slipped to 51-2.

Sangakkara (2) sparred outside off stump and edged behind where wicket-keeper Adnan Akmal dived in front of first slip to pouch a brilliant left-handed catch.

Akmal is the third of three Akmal brothers to play for Pakistan in recent years, following his brothers Umar and Kamal.

Cheema also provided some anxious moments for another veteran, Mahela Jayawardene, who was hit on the helmet and struggled against the pacer in an absorbing duel.

Jayawardene got through that difficult start and added 28 with Paranavitana for the third wicket before Gul ended the three-hour resistance of Paranavitana at 79-3.

The left-hander hit three fours in 37 off 128 balls before he was hurried by a Gul bouncer and gloved a hook to Akmal down the leg side.

Captain Tillakaratne Dilshan started positively and shared a further 33 with Jayawardene before Ajmal and Junaid ripped apart the innings just before tea.

Dilshan (19) fell to Ajmal, but was unhappy with umpire Tony Hill's decision that he had edged a ball to the wicket-keeper.

Junaid, the wiry left-armer who represented English county Lancashire in the summer, then took over. He claimed the two Jayawardenes, Mahela and wicket-keeper Prasanna, as well as Rangana Herath as Sri Lanka collapsed dramatically to 114-7.

Mahela nudged a short ball to first slip where Mohammad Hafeez juggled twice before clinging on while Prasanna's middle and off stumps were splayed by a yorker. Herath fell leg before first ball to leave Junaid on a hat-trick.

Suranga Lakmal survived that and he and Mathews restored some respectability to the innings after tea in an eighth wicket stand of 54.

Lakmal contributed 18, his highest test score, in just over an hour before Gul returned to claim him through an edge to Hafeez at first slip.

Mathews, who recently notched his maiden test century against Australia, fashioned a further 25 for the ninth wicket with Chanaka Welegedara before Junaid returned to halt Sri Lanka short of 200.

Welegedara (11) eventually slashed a square cut to backward point while debutant Nuwan Pradeep gloved a nasty lifter for Akmal's fourth catch behind the stumps.

Pakistan's openers had few alarms in negotiating eight overs before the close.