Sri Lanka fight back in a battle of attrition

Sri Lanka used their strangulating methods when the game threatened to run away as they clawed their way back on an absorbing second day at Faisalabad. After managing just 243 on a benign pitch, the door was slowly shutting on Sri Lanka when Pakistan shot off the blocks at a rollicking pace. But like they have done so effectively in the one-day version, they shifted to a restrictive approach - gradually applying the pressure with some tight bowling and sharp fielding - and kept Pakistan down to 256 for 8, a lead of just 13.

Dilhara Fernando led the fightback with a fiery spell after lunch and was backed up by disciplined bowling at the other end. Rangana Herath also played his part as the batsmen were lured into indiscretion and most fell to rash strokes after being frustrated for long periods. The Pakistan managed to string together partnerships at different stages, but no-one kicked on to a big score and Sri Lanka kept chipping away with their nagging approach.

In the first session, though, Sri Lanka were facing a serious crisis. They could add just ten more runs to their overnight score, as they were blown away by the fast bowlers. Thilan Samaraweera, who had battled long and hard yesterday, lasted just two balls this morning. He brought up his hundred with the first ball of the day but spooned a catch straight to short square leg immediately after (237 for 8).

This was Samaraweera's first hundred outside the Sinhalese Sports Club, where he averages close to 108, and the second half of the innings was played with him cramping up as he waged a grim battle when the rest fell around him. Once he fell, though, the tail capsised almost instantly. The last two batsmen had no answer to sizzlers that uprooted their stumps as Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Sami finished with nine wickets between them, a fitting reward for their discipline on a flat deck.

And Pakistan tightened their stranglehold when Yasir Hameed began the reply in a manic hurry, with the run-rate hovering close to five-an-over in the first ten. Opening the batting for the first time in a Test, he slashed through the covers with a smooth bat-swing and flicked away anything that was close to middle stump. He survived a huge appeal for lbw in Fernando's first over and also got away with some iffy running between the wickets. But amid all these tense moments, crisp drives whistled to the boundary rope as Pakistan were set to break away.

Just before lunch, though, Sri Lanka reverted to the back-up plan. They succeeded in drying up the runs with four successive maiden overs with a disciplined line and defensive fields. They persisted with the same approach after lunch and both Asim Kamal and Hameed fell to the trap. Fernando choked Kamal with a line just outside the off stump, he slipped in one that was a wider and in the slot for the drive. Kamal duly accepted the bait, but only managed to edge it straight to Mahela Jayawardene at second slip. Hameed was also kept in check after the break and he added just 7 in the 34 balls he faced after lunch. He fell trying to pull a well-directed short ball from Fernando, as the top edge ballooned towards short square-leg. Jehan Mubarak raced from short midwicket, timed his jump perfectly and latched on with both his feet off the ground (109 for 3).

After Yousuf Youhana fell trying to cut one that was too close to him, Pakistan were back on track with a steady partnership between Inzamam-ul-Haq and Shoaib Malik. Both nudged it around sensibly and Malik delighted in bursts with crisp drives and cuts. But Herath lured Inzamam into a needless slog-sweep, that took the top edge and carried at a comfortable height to mid-on (188 for 5).

Abdul Razzaq joined Malik in another brief stand, before Malik drove firmly to mid-on and set off for a run that never was. Chaminda Vaas threw down the stumps smartly and Malik found himself inches short (227 for 6). Malik had scored at almost a run-a-ball early on, but the run-out was a result of the Sri Lankans reducing the scoring to a trickle. Razzaq fell with just a few overs to go, and the game was back on an even keel.

On a pitch that had no signs of wear and tear, Sri Lanka had fought back with planning and patience and the Pakistan batsmen played into their hands.