Pakistan’s Babar Azam plays a shot against Sri Lanka in the second Test at the National Stadium in Karachi (Asif HASSAN)
<p>Karachi (AFP) – Pakistan fought back after being dismissed relatively cheaply Thursday as bowlers dominated the opening day of the second Test against Sri Lanka in Karachi.</p><p>Lahiru Kumara and Lasith Embuldeniya grabbed four wickets each to dismiss Pakistan for just 191 before the home team had the visitors at 64-3 at stumps at the National Stadium.</p><p>Pacer Kumara took 4-49 while left-arm spinner Embuldeniya finished with 4-71 after Pakistan won the toss.</p><p>But Pakistan staged a fightback with the wickets of Oshada Fernando (four), Dimuth Karunaratne (25) and Kusal Mendis (13) leaving Sri Lanka still 127 runs behind on the first innings.</p><p>Lanky pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi had Fernando caught behind before Mohammad Abbas removed Karunaratne and Mendis.</p><p>At stumps, Angelo Mathews was eight not out and nightwatchman Embuldeniya unbeaten on three.</p><p>Pakistan were well set at 127-3 with Babar Azam (60) and Asad Shafiq (63) involved in a 62-run stand for the fourth wicket, but once Azam fell the home side lost their last six wickets for just 24 runs.</p><p>Azam was shaping well after scoring his 13th half-century before Embuldeniya had him stumped off a well-disguised delivery.</p><p>Shafiq hooked Kumara tentatively to deep square-leg, ending Pakistan’s hopes of a big total in their bid to win the series after the first Test ended in a draw due to poor weather in Rawalpindi.</p><p>Kumara dismissed Mohammad Rizwan for four and Yasir Shah (nought) off successive deliveries in the first over after tea before Embuldeniya removed the tail.</p><p>Earlier, Sri Lanka left-arm pacer Vishwa Fernando dismissed opener Shan Masood for five and skipper Azhar Ali for a duck to rattle Pakistan at 10-2 in the morning.</p><p>Fernando’s new-ball partner Kumara dismissed first Test centurion Abid Ali for 38 to end a third-wicket partnership of 55, which had lifted Pakistan from a precarious 10 for two.</p><p>Fernando thought he had Azam leg-before on four, but TV referalls showed the ball hit the bat first.</p><p>Azam reached his fourth half-century in the last five innings with a crisp boundary to cover off-spinner Dilruwan Perera, but could not match his hundred in the first Test.</p><p>Azam’s 96-ball knock contained eight boundaries and a six while Shafiq’s 126-ball stay had six boundaries.</p><p>It was Fernando who provided Sri Lanka with early breakthroughs.</p><p>He angled one in to Masood to hit his off stump before clean bowling skipper Azhar with a full-length delivery.</p><p>That left Azhar without a fifty in 13 innings, including nine scores of under 10. </p><p>Pakistan brought in leg-spinner Yasir Shah for ailing paceman Usman Shinwari, while Embuldeniya came in for unfit Kasun Rajitha.</p><p>The two-match series is the first in Pakistan since a militant attack on the Sri Lankan team bus killed eight people in March 2009, leading to the suspension of international cricket in the country over security fears.</p><p></p>

Disclaimer: Validity of the above story is for 7 Days from original date of publishing. Source: AFP.