Openers Help Sri Lanka Thrash Pakistan

Dubai: Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by nine wickets in the second Test in Dubai on Sunday, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Pakistan were bowled out for 359 in their second innings with paceman Suranga Lakmal taking a career-best 4-78 on the fifth and final morning, giving Sri Lanka a target of 137 to win in 80 overs.

Openers Dimuth Karunaratne (62 not out) and Kaushal Silva (58) put on 124 for the first wicket before Kumar Sangakkara (nine not out) did the job with 33.4 overs to play for Sri Lanka's biggest win over Pakistan in terms of wickets.

Nuwan Pradeep, Shaminda Eranga and Rangana Herath took two wickets apiece. Sarfraz Ahmed scored 74 after Pakistan resumed at 330-7.

Mahela Jayawardene declared man of the match for his 32nd Test hundred in first innings.

Earlier, Pakistan failed to prolong their resistance of the fourth day as they lost three wickets in the space of just 29 runs.

Lakmal removed Sarfraz Ahmed in the fourth over of the day, bringing one in sharply to beat the Pakistani's forward defensive push and hit the off-stump. Sarfraz scored 74, batting for 211 minutes and hitting seven boundaries in a fighting innings that took the game to the final day.

Lakmal then had Rahat Ali caught behind for eight, for Prasanna Jayawardene's ninth catch in the match. Prasanna equalled Sri Lanka's record of nine catches by a wicketkeeper in a match set twice in successive Tests by Amal Silva against India at home in 1985.

Lakmal bowled Ajmal (21) to end Pakistan's second innings. Lakmal's previous best was 3-55 against Australia at Galle in 2011.

Nuwan Pradeep, Shaminda Eranga and Rangana Herath took two wickets apiece.

Sri Lankan paceman bowled well on the first day to get Pakistan out for a low score of 165 and then gained a big 223-run lead with experienced batsman Mahela Jayawardene hitting a brilliant 129.

Pakistan did put up a fight, taking the game to the final day with skipper Misbah-ul Haq hitting 97 and Younis Khan scoring 77 on the fourth day but the first-innings deficit led to their downfall.

The first Test ended in a draw in Abu Dhabi. The third and final Test starts in Sharjah from Thursday.

Brief scores
Pakistan 165 (Manzoor 73, Pradeep 3-62, Herath 3-26) and 359 (Misbah 97, Younis 77, Sarfraz Ahmed 74, Lakmal 4-48)
Sri Lanka 388 (Mahela 129, Silva 95, Junaid Khan 3-102) and 137 for 1 (Karunaratne 62*, Silva 58)
Result Sri Lanka won by nine wickets
MOM Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka)

Scores	Upcoming	Results
West Indies vs Bangladesh - 3rd T20I 3rd ODI - Zimbabwe v Afghanistan - December 21, 07:30 GMT 3rd ODI - South Africa v Pakistan - December 22, 12:00 GMT 2nd ODI - South Africa v Pakistan at Cape Town Pakistan won by 81 runs 2nd ODI - Zimbabwe v Afghanistan at Harare Afghanistan won by 232 runs

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