Six-star Babar helps Pakistanis take slim lead

KARACHI: Zulfiqar Babar on Friday issued Sri Lanka a big warning ahead of next week’s opening Test when he wreaked havoc against Sri Lanka Board President’s XI allowing the Pakistanis to take a slim lead on the second day of their three-day practice match in Colombo.
The left-arm spinner took 6-31 as he ripped through the opposition lower order helping Pakistan take a seven-run first innings lead.
But Babar was unable to stop opener Kaushal Silva from scoring his 32nd first-class hundred. Silva finally fell to the other Pakistani spinner — Yasir Shah. Jehan Mubarak, Dinesh Chandimal, Milinda Siriwardene and Upul Tharanga all got starts, but failed to cross fifty.
Kaushal had been unbeaten overnight alongside Tharanga, who became the only man to be dismissed by pace on day two, when he was caught behind off Wahab Riaz. Mubarak — who is auditioning for a place in Sri Lanka’s XI for the Galle Test — was bowled for 28 to become Babar’s first victim of the day. Chandimal and Siriwardene also provided brief support to Kaushal, but were both out to Babar as well.
Despite the regular dismissals, the Board XI had seemed likely to surpass the Pakistanis’ total, at 217 for 4. But Siriwardene’s wicket, followed next ball by Niroshan Dickwella’s exit, sparked a collapse that cost six wickets for 24 runs. Babar ran through the tail with a little help from Yasir, who took 2 wickets for 45.
Pakistanis faced 11 overs before stumps were drawn, which was enough time for Mohammad Hafeez to be dismissed for single figures by Nisala Tharaka, for the second time in the match. The visitors ended the day on 27 for 1.
The Pakistanis will take on Sri Lanka on the opening Test at Galle starting from June 17. They will play two more Tests before featuring in five One-day Internationals and two Twenty20 games. —with inputs from agencies
Score Board
Pakistanis won toss
Pakistanis 1st innings 247 all-out (Ahmed Shehzad 82; Vandersay 5-73)
Sri Lanka Board President’s XI 1st innings
F D M Karunaratne lbw b Junaid 0
J K Silva c Younis b Yasir 101
W U Tharanga c Sarfraz b Riaz 35
J Mubarak b Babar 28
*†L D Chandimal c Azhar b Babar 22
T A M Siriwardana c Younis b Babar 26
N Dickwella c Azhar b Babar 0
N T Gamage c Yasir b Babar 12
M V T Fernando c Imran b Babar 4
J D F Vandersay not out 2
C A K Rajitha lbw b Yasir 0
Extras (b 4, lb 2, w 4, nb 1) 11
Total (all out; 89.1 overs) 241
Did not bat: B Fernando, D M de Silva, P M Pushpakumara
Fall: 1-0, 2-62, 3-125, 4-165, 5-217, 6-217, 7-235, 8-235, 9-241, 10-241
Bowling: Junaid 13-1-48-1(3w); Imran 12-2-32-0(1w); Yasir 23.1-4-45-2; Riaz 11-3-49-1(1nb); Hafeez 9-1-30-0; Babar 21-8-31-6
Pakistanis 2nd innings
Mohammad Hafeez b Gamage 8
Shan Masood not out 15
Azhar Ali not out 3
Extras (w 1) 1
Total (1 wicket; 11 overs) 27
To bat: Younis Khan, *Misbah-ul-Haq, Asad Shafiq, †Sarfraz Ahmed, Wahab Riaz, Yasir Shah, Junaid Khan, Imran Khan, Ahmed Shehzad, Zulfiqar Babar, Haris Sohail
Fall: 1-17
Bowling: Fernando 3-1-13-0; Rajitha 3-1-2-0; Mubarak 2-0-8-0; Gamage 2-1-4-1(1w); Siriwardana 1-1-0-0
Umpires: R A Kottahachchi and R M P J Rambukwella. Match referee: M A W R Madurasinghe. Reserve umpire: L E Hannibal