Kumar Sangakkara’s unbeaten ton anchored Sri Lanka’s innings as they moved to 300-4 at lunch on the second day of the third and final Test against Pakistan on Friday.
Sri Lanka lost all-rounder Angelo Mathews in the last over before lunch, caught behind off left-arm spinner Abdul Rehman for 17, but the 34-year-old Sangakkara was unbeaten on 140 to ensure Sri Lanka did not lose track.
The stylish left-hander has hit 12 fours and two sixes during his stay at the crease, which began in the first over of the match on Thursday.
Sangakkara put on 84 for the third wicket with Mahela Jayawardene (39) and another 39 with Mathews for the fourth as Sri Lanka aim to build a big total on a batting-friendly Sharjah stadium pitch.
Resuming on 245-2, Sri Lanka batted watchfully as they tried to avoid a repeat of the middle-order collapses they suffered in the drawn first Test in Abu Dhabi and the nine-wicket defeat in the second Test at Dubai.
Jayawardene managed to add just seven to his overnight score of 32 before being given leg-before off paceman Junaid Khan. Jayawardene hit two boundaries during his highest score of the series.
Sangakkara and Mathews negotiated Pakistan’s pace-spin attack with confidence, taking Sri Lanka past the 300-mark in the penultimate over before lunch.
But Pakistan struck in the last over before lunch as they got the second wicket in the session, with Sri Lanka managing 55 runs in two hours.
