ABU DHABI // Two years ago, in this very venue, Sri Lanka pulled off one of their great escapes. They had conceded a 314-run lead to Pakistan at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, but with Kumar Sangakkara – and numerous dropped catches – they managed to draw comfortably.
This time around, thanks to captain Angelo Mathews, they can go one step better and dream of a remarkable triumph.
Having conceded a 179-run lead, Mathews scored his second Test hundred on the fourth day to lead Sri Lanka to 420 for five. The lead now is 241, and if they accelerate, as they hinted late in the day, then, well, who knows?
Two partnerships took them through the entire day; Mathews first put on 138 with Dinesh Chandimal and then an unbroken 96 with Prasanna Jayawardene. Mathews was the man, though, with a composed, patient innings, overcoming several difficult spells to work his way through the day.
There were moments of adventure and plenty of evidence of a wide repertoire of strokes in his career-best 116, arguably his most impressive Test innings to date. Chandimal, at the opposite end for much of day, was suitably impressed.
“He went to bat at a very crucial time and batted really well,” Chandimal said. “As a captain, it was [the most] mature knock I have ever seen from him. He batted really well throughout the day and we’ll have to do one more hour tomorrow.”
What happens in that hour will decide the fate of the Test. Pakistan, under Misbah, have not generally been keen on last-day chases and anything in excess of 300, will essentially condemn them to simply surviving. The surface is still not doing that much, but Chandimal was pretty optimistic.
“With a bit of spin on the wicket, we will keep our fingers crossed” for a win, he said. “A 300-plus target might be a winning target.”
osamiuddin@thenational.ae
