Gul-inspired Pakistan leave Sri Lanka tottering

Pakistan’s bowlers once again caught Sri Lanka napping on the opening day of the second cricket Test at Dubai Stadium here on Wednesday.
Sri Lanka, opting to bat on a bouncy pitch, were pegged back by Umar Gul (3-49) before slumping further to 176-8 by tea as the Pakistan attack kept relentless pressure on the batsmen with some early help from the pitch.
Kumar Sangakkara, who scored 211 to help Sri Lanka draw the first of three Tests in Abu Dhabi last week, top-scored with 78 hitting eleven boundaries and added an invaluable 54 runs for the sixth wicket with debutant Kaushal Silva (20).
At tea, Rangana Herath (six) and Chanaka Welegedara (15) were at the crease.
When Sangakkara looked set for another century he lost his concentration as he jumped down the crease to hoist left-arm spinner Abdul Rehman straight into the hands of deep mid-wicket fielder Asad Shafiq.
Sangakkara, who also added 27 for the seventh wicket with Dhammika Prasad (seven), had defied the Pakistani bowlers during the first session in which Sri Lanka lost five wickets, three in Gul’s incisive first spell.
Junaid Khan ably complemented Gul by dismissing Tillakaratne Dilshan (seven) and Angelo Mathews (19) to leave Sri Lanka struggling at 78-5 at lunch.
Gul trapped opener Lahiru Thirimanne (one) in front of the wicket with the second delivery of his second over as Indian umpire Shahvir Tarapore upheld the appeal for his maiden decision in his first Test.
Gul then had two wickets in his fifth over, as Tharanga Paranavitana slashed a wide delivery straight into the hands of skipper Misbah-ul Haq who held a sharp chance. Tharanga made six.
Off his sixth delivery, Gul had the experienced Mahela Jayawardene edging into the slips for Misbah to make two in two, leading by example in the slips after Pakistan floored seven chances in the first Test.
Khan, who took a career-best 5-38 to dismiss Sri Lanka for a paltry 197 in the first innings, had Dilshan caught in the slip and then Mathews caught behind by keeper Adnan Akmal.
Sangakkara dispatched Gul for his eighth boundary to bring up his 37th half-century before Rehman’s dismissed him and Silva in his first spell.
Sri Lanka were forced to make two changes from the first Test line-up, leaving injured Prasanna Jayawardene and Nuwan Pradeep to include Prasad and Silva.
Pakistan replaced paceman Aizaz Cheema with Rehman.