Ramesh comes good as Sri Lanka seize initiative in second Test

Rex Clementine
in Galle

After a poor effort in the first Test match against Pakistan and below par efforts in recent games, off-spinner Ramesh Mendis’ place was in doubt for the second Test. The indications were that he will be given the cold shoulder for the must win game when SSC off-spinner Lakshitha Manasinghe was added to the squad. However, Ramesh was given another chance and he made it count running through Pakistan’s middle order as Sri Lanka seized initiative of the second Test reducing Pakistan to 191 for seven at stumps on day two here at the Galle International Stadium yesterday. Pakistan trail by 187 runs with three wickets in hand.

When Sri Lanka set Pakistan a target of 342 in the first Test, they thought the match was in the bag. Although Prabath Jayasuriya bowled well, Ramesh was unimpressive erring with lengths. He sent down 33 overs and picked up just wicket but what was more worrying was that despite sending down 33 overs, he couldn’t bowl a maiden, exposing his inability to keep things tight.

Yesterday operating from the City End, he trapped Mohammad Rizwan and Fawad Alam leg before wicket for identical scores of 24 and then had Mohammad Nawaz caught behind claiming three wickets in one spell. He finished with three for 42 in 18 overs, five of which were maiden.

Pakistan are still 187 runs behind and Sri Lanka will be looking to knock off the lower order quickly and take a decent lead.

From 145 for six, Agha Salman and Yasir Shah added 46 runs for the seventh wicket to stage a brief recovery but Sri Lanka knocked off Salman in the last ball of the day when Dhananjaya de Silva took a catch at slip off the bowling of Jayasuriya.

Salman made 62 off 126 deliveries with four fours and one six. It was his maiden half-century in Test cricket.

Sri Lanka would have been pleased with the way Niroshan Dickwella responded to criticism as he batted responsibly to post a half-century as they resumed from the overnight score of 315 for six.

Ramesh Mendis was again handy with the bat posting 35 batting at number nine before being last man dismissed.

Naseem Shah and Yasir Shah picked up three wickets apiece.

Sri Lanka were without Dimuth Karunaratne as he was having back spasms and Dhananjaya de Silva was standing in for him. The hosts may not have the services of their captain for the rest of the game.