Karachi, March 13: Muttiah Muralitharan continued to be an enigma forthe Pakistan batsmen as Sri Lanka pulled themselves back intocontention of the third and final cricket Test being played here onMonday at the National Stadium

Samiul Hasan14-Mar-2000Karachi, March 13: Muttiah Muralitharan continued to be an enigma forthe Pakistan batsmen as Sri Lanka pulled themselves back intocontention of the third and final cricket Test being played here onMonday at the National Stadium.Muralitharan pushed Pakistan on the backfoot when he picked up twocrucial wickets on Monday evening after the home team appeared to runaway with the match after Shahid Afridi and Mohammad Naveed Qureshihad provided them with the best opening start of the series by scoring70 in 18 overs.But Muralitharan trapped Naveed in front of the wickets and thenearned a controversial decision against Ijaz Ahmad to restrictPakistan to 88 for three at stumps on the second day.Ravindra Pushpakumara had provided Muralitharan the inroad by sendingShahid Afridi’s off stump cartwheeling.Pakistan had earlier dismissed Sri Lanka for 227 to secure a 29-runfirst innings lead. It was the first time Pakistan snatched the firstinnings advantage after surrendering a 171-run lead in Rawalpindi and69-run lead in Peshawar. Sri Lanka won both the Tests by two wicketsand 57 runs respectively.Pakistan, who have never lost a Test here in 33 matches, lead thetourists by 117 runs with seven second innings wickets in hand. Thematch, which was heading Pakistan’s way 14 overs before close, is nowevenly balanced.Nevertheless, Pakistan bowlers aggressive approach was undone byMuralitharan’s menace who now has taken his tally of wickets in theseries to 24. When Sri Lanka won the series here in 1995-96,Muralitharan had picked 18 wickets.Interestingly, most of Muralitharan’s victims in the series havefallen to bat and pad catches which proves the Pakistan stroke-makersinability to counter his spin and overcautious approach.Muralitharan, the undoubtable spin king, achieved a personal milestonewhen he reached 250 wickets in 51 Tests by accounting for Naveed. Theopener, who was looking compact in defence while scoring 27, foundhimself a bit unlucky to be declared leg before as the ball wasapparently spinning down the leg-side.But it was heartwarming to see Shahid Afridi stroke the ball on meritand show patience. He played sizzling drives until he was beaten by areal beauty from pacer Pushpakumara. Afridi’s 59-ball 34 was spicedwith six boundaries.Until Pushpakumara dismissed Afridi and Muralitharan got his actstogether, the Sri Lankans, for the first time, appeared a disjointedunit. Their shoulders were drooped and the body language showed thatthey had run out of steam.The reason maybe that they had already clinched the series inPeshawar. The other reason might be that they are at the fag end of awonderful tour and consequently keen to return home early.Sanath Jayasuriya’s leadership also came into question for the firsttime in the series when he delayed the introduction of Muralitharanuntil the 17th over. A bowler, who has mentally destroyed the Pakistanbatsmen, should have been brought into the attack much earlier.Nevertheless, Sri Lanka’s belated fightback on the second day’s cannotdiscredit Pakistan who dominated six of the seven hours play. Day’splay was extended because Pakistan’s over-rate was well below therequirement. Only a miracle can save them from being penalized bymatch referee Brian Hastings.Waqar Younis showed his experience of bowling on a green top track bypitching the ball upto the batsmen while Shoaib Akhtar displayed hisspeed with controlled line and length. Shahid Afridi exhibited hisutility by snapping up two wickets.The double change in the team management was also evident as thereappeared a set plan and purpose behind the bowling. The Sri Lankanbatsmen were not given much width or room to play their trademarkextravagant shots. Field placings were near perfect while the bowlingchanges were timely and calculated.But Pakistan’s strategy was nearly pierced by pint-sized RomeshKaluwitharana who punctuated nine boundaries in his 29-ball 42. Butalert fielding restricted the little dynamite from inflicting furtherdamage when Naveed’s accurate throw from square-leg beat the SriLankan wicket-keeper by yards who tried to steal an impossible secondrun.Jayasuriya was deliberately fed outside the off-stump before theskipper perished when Ijaz took a sharp catch off Shoaib Akhtar. WaqarYounis kept the ball on the right spot until he found the outside edgeof Mahela Jayawardena’s bat after having trapped Marvan Atapattu infront of the wickets off a sharp banana-like inswinger.Russel Arnold, who missed a century by one run in Peshawar, was notgiven free strokes on his favourite leg-side. He eventually lost hispatience and slashed a wide delivery off debutant Irfan Fazil to besmartly caught at third slip by Younis Khan.Indika de Saram, who had just two scoring shots in his 22-ball five,tried to take liberty against Shahid Afridi and was caught at mid-on.Tillekeratne Dilshan tried to cut a ball too close to his body andcaught by Moin Khan who had given him a life three runs earlier.Dilshan masterminded Sri Lanka’s revival after they had slumped to 46for three in the first hour. He added 54 runs for the fourth wicketwith Arnold and remained a silent spectators in another partnership of54 with Kaluwitharana.Waqar Younis finished as the most impressive bowler with two for 39but Shoaib Akhtar was the most successful bowler with three for 52.Shahid Afridi bagged two for 40 but Irfan Fazil had a nightmare debutwhen he was hit for 35 runs from his four overs for a solitary wicket.