Sri Lanka battle back to parity

The Sri Lankan bowlers brought their team back into the contest with a disciplined spell that dried up the runs and frustrated the batsmen into throwing their wickets away. Pakistan were well in control at the lunch break yesterday, with Yasir Hameed getting them off to a brisk start, but they lost their way in the afternoon as seven wickets fell for just 156 runs. At the end of the day, they finished on 256 for 8 with a lead of just 13.

Even a lead of around 50 may prove to be vital in this game. When Sri Lanka bat, they will have to contend with Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Sami, who were lethal in the first innings as they ripped through the Sri Lankan top order in no time. A similar burst today could well help Pakistan seal this game and go one-up in the series.