Tons from Kumar Sangakkara and Tillakaratne Dilshan direct Test to a draw

Sri Lanka 278-5 (Kumar Sangakkara 144*, Tillakaratne Dilshan 121, Junaid Khan 3-56) trail Pakistan 551-6 declared (Mohammad Hafeez 196, Azhar Ali 157, Rangana Herath 3-164) by 273 runs.

Kumar Sangakkara smashed 9^th ton vs. Pakistan and Tillakaratne Dilshan followed with his successive century and almost took Sri Lanka out of danger in the 2^nd Test.

Pakistan blasted 551 runs for the loss of six wickets in 147 overs when Misbah-Ul-Haq declared the first innings. Sri Lanka gave a solid reply by scoring 278 runs with five wickets in hand in 85.4 overs.

The fourth day of the rain affected second Test came to an end on July 3, 2012, at Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, Colombo.

Earlier, the home team initiated the day at 70 for the loss of one wicket in 15 overs, Dilshan and Sangakkara were at the crease for 46 and 22 runs respectively. The two batsmen managed just five runs in the first four overs as three of them ended as maiden. Sangakkara scored the first boundary of the day in the 20^th over and Dilshan attained his fifty in the next over. The first achieved his half century in the 29^th over but the run rate was kept under check by the Pakistani bowlers.

The Lankan Lions reached 135 without losing any wicket after 39 overs when lunch was taken as rain interrupted the play again. The game restarted at 02.30 pm, the duo crawled to 150 in the 46^th over and kept on enhancing the runs at a rather slow speed. Tillakaratne Dilshan smashed his 14^th Test ton on the fourth ball of the 61^st over off Saeed Ajmal with a six over long on. He opened up in the following over and gathered 10 runs with a couple of fours.

Kumar Sangakkara hammered his 30^th Test century on the fifth ball of the 63^rd over against one of his favourite teams. He has played 15 Tests against Pakistan and amassed 3938 runs at the end of the fourth day’s play at a superb average of 90.58, the best of 230 with 9 hundreds.

Pakistan tasted the first wicket of the day on the last ball of the 70^th over when Dilshan was declared leg before wicket off Junaid Khan for 121 off 195 balls with the assistance of 1 six and 13 fours. The second wicket fell at 236 and the partnership of 225 runs was the highest against Pakistan as the skipper, Mahela Jayawardene came in the centre.

Sangakkara hit two fours in the 72^nd over off Junaid Khan as Jayawardene was adjudged lbw off Junaid Khan for a duck after the addition of 14 runs to the total. The Pakistani bowlers took over and clinched a couple of quick wickets as play was stopped once again due to weather after 85.4 overs were bowled in the first innings.

Kumar Sangakkara was still at the crease for 144 runs as Sri Lanka scored 278 runs for the loss of five wickets. The match is heading towards a draw as there is just one day left and Pakistan has to wait for the third Test for squaring the series as Sri Lanka will do their best to win or draw the last game.