ABU DHABI : Kumar Sangakkara and opener Lahiru Thirimanne hit fighting
half-centuries to keep Pakistan's victory bids at bay on the fourth day
of the opening Test at Abu Dhabi stadium here on Friday.Sangakkara
was unbeaten on 62 and Thirimanne on 59 not out as Sri Lanka, trailing
by 314 runs on the first innings, reached 125-1 in their second outing
by lunch, needing another 189 runs to avoid an innings defeat.Pakistan
had their chances in the morning session but they spurned as many as
five catches, three of Thirimanne which helped the opener to post his
maiden half-century.Paceman Junaid Khan, who destroyed Sri
Lanka with 5-38 in their first innings of 197, was the unlukcy bowler on
three occasions as Mohammad Hafeez grassed two regulation catches in
the slip off Thirimanne when he was on 40.Much to Khan's
disappointment Younis Khan held a sharp edge off Sangakkara but the
catch was disallowed by the umpires as the ball had bounced before
getting into the hands of the slip fielder.Thirimanne again escaped when Hafeez failed to catch a sharp cut when the left-handed opener was on 57.Sangakkara
was the fist to get to his fifty, when he took a single off the
luckless Khan -- his 37th in a glorious career of 107 Tests. He has so
far hit seven boundaries off 114 balls.Thirimanne reached his maiden fifty with a single off Saeed Ajmal. He has so far hit four boundaries.Pakistan
again let off Sangakkara when Younis failed to hold onto a sharp edge
when a Saeed Ajmal's delivery surprised the left-handed batsman batting
on 56. The remaining two Tests of the series will be played in Dubai (October 26-30) and Sharjah (November 3-7).
