Sri Lanka in command after Karunaratne ton

Dimuth Karunaratne’s unbeaten 133 helped Sri Lanka pile up 254 for 3 on the first day of the second Test against Pakistan in Dubai.

Published : Oct 06, 2017 23:55 IST , Dubai

 Dimuth Karunaratne (left) celebrates his seventh Test century with captain Dinesh Chandimal.
Dimuth Karunaratne (left) celebrates his seventh Test century with captain Dinesh Chandimal.
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Dimuth Karunaratne (left) celebrates his seventh Test century with captain Dinesh Chandimal.

Opener Dimuth Karunaratne compiled a brilliant century to put Sri Lanka in a commanding position at 254 for 3 on the opening day of the second day-night Test in Dubai on Friday. The left-hander was unbeaten on 133, adding 118 for an unbroken fourth-wicket stand with skipper Dinesh Chandimal (49 not out) after Sri Lanka won the toss and batted on a flat Dubai Stadium pitch.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Karunaratne batted with authority and style to reach his seventh Test hundred off 197 balls, hitting Mohammad Amir for two consecutive boundaries to complete three figures. He batted for 381 minutes, hitting 15 boundaries and a six.

Karunaratne fell seven runs short of a hundred in the first Test in Abu Dhabi where Sri Lanka won by 21 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series. Chandimal followed his 155 not out in the opening Test with another confident innings, collecting five boundaries as the Sri Lankan pair blunted Pakistan's bowling attack.

Reviews wasted

Pakistan took the second new ball after 82 overs but failed to claim any further wickets, with Amir walking off in the middle of his 17th over with an apparent injury. Pakistan, which has never lost a Test series in the United Arab Emirates, also wasted both its reviews off the second new ball to cap a woeful day for it.

Read: South Africa top-order piles on the runs again

Leg-spinner Yasir Shah was the pick of bowlers with 2 for 90 while Amir returned figures of 1 for 59.

Quick wickets

Karunaratne and opening partner Kaushal Silva (27) provided a solid platform for Sri Lanka with a 63-run stand before Pakistan hit back with three wickets in quick succession. Shah delivered the much-needed breakthrough for his team when he had Silva caught behind off a short delivery. Debutant Sadeera Samarawickrama impressed during his quickfire 38, smacking five boundaries and a six before he miscued a pull and was caught and bowled by Amir.

Read: Karunaratne fuelled by painful India losses

Kusal Mendis played a rash drive off Shah and was caught in the slips for one. Karunaratne crunched three boundaries in an Amir over and then hit Shah for another to reach his sixth Test fifty.

Sri Lanka made two changes from the first Test, leaving out Lahiru Thirimanne and Lakshan Sandakan for Samarawickrama and paceman Lahiru Gamage while Pakistan brought in fast bowler Wahab Riaz in place of the unfit Hasan Ali.

This is the sixth day-night Test with a pink ball since Australia and New Zealand played the first such contest at Adelaide in December 2015.

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