Magic Shah stuns Lions Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by 10 wickets at Galle…

Leg spinner Yasir Shah led the final day turn around for Pakistan with a seven wicket haul as they completed their first Test win in Sri Lanka since 2006 to beat the home team by 10 wickets in the first Test match concluded at Galle yesterday.
After Shah’s magic 7-76 the home team was all out for just 206 before tea, handing the visitor’s an easy target of 90 runs in one full session, which they did in just 11.2 overs without losing a single wicket. Pakistan turned around the match which saw the loss of a day and a session to rain.
After being 118-5 in reply to the home team’s 300 at stumps of day three, Sarfraz Ahmed did what they do best on the fourth day, with a counter attack 96 runs, while ever cool Asad Shafiq absorbed the pressure to score his 7th Test century as Pakistan posted 417 to achieve a 117 runs lead in the first inning.
Then came the threat from leg-spinner Yasir Shah who is playing only in his 8th Test claimed his best figures in Test cricket, which was also the best by a Pakistan leg spinner in the last 20 years, and also only the second time in Sri Lanka a leg spinner claimed seven wickets after Shane Warne did it in 2002. Shah left the Sri Lanka second inning in shambles as none of the batsman had an answer against him, including batting great Kumar Sangakkara. Also, home batsmen were irresponsible during their inning as three of them were stumped after trying to charge down the track in a situation which asked nothing more than to hang on to their wicket.
After doing all the hard work upfront to achieve a 50 runs lead after trailing by 118, opener Dimuth Karunaratne who was the anchor of the inning with 79 runs, tried an irresponsible shot coming down the track to leg spinner Yasir Shah and missed the delivery completely and wicket-keeper Sarfraz Ahmed did the rest, which gave the home team the jitters. Karunaratne took 173 balls for his inning which included ten fours and he kept his cool while wickets tumbled from the other end. Dammika Prasad and Dinesh Chandimal were the others to be dismissed by stumping.
Night watchman Dilruwan Perera was sent back to the pavilion by leg spinner Yasir Shah off the first ball of the day. Perera tried to leave the ball alone which came straight in and removed the off stump, and Perera walked back in wonder. Vice captain Lahiru Thirimanne (44) added a half century stand with Karunaratne for the fourth wicket to see through almost the entire first session, but that was until left arm pace man Wahab Riaz returned for his new spell . Riaz struck with the first ball of his new spell when Thirimanne edged the ball and was caught by Younis Khan in the slip cordon.
Kithuruwan Vithanage did not last long as he too tried an irresponsible slog sweep against the dangerous Shah and was caught by Zulfiqar Babar in the deep as Shah completed his five wickets.
Man of the match : Sarfraz Ahmed

Scores

Sri Lanka 1st innings: 300 (K. Silva 125, K. Sangakkara 50, Wahab Riaz 3-74, Zulfiqar Babar 3-64)
Pakistan 1st innings: 417 (Asad Shafiq 131, Sarfraz Ahmed 96, D. Prasad 3-91, D. Perera 4-122)

Sri Lanka 2nd Innings
K. Silva c Azhar b Wahab 05
D. Karunaratne st Sarfraz b Yasir 79
K. Sangakkara c Azhar b Yasir 18
D. Perera b Yasir 00
L. Thirimanne c Younis b Wahab 44
A. Mathews c Azhar b Yasir 05
D. Chandimal st Sarfraz b Yasir 38
K. Vithanage c Babar b Yasir 01
D. Prasad st Sarfraz b Babar 02
R. Herath c Hafeez b Yasir 01
N. Pradeep not out 00
Extras: (b5, lb1, w6, nb1) 13
Total (all out, 77.1 overs) 206
Fall of wickets: 1-18, 2-63, 3-63, 4-132, 5-144, 6-167, 7-175, 8-200, 9-203, 10-206.
Bowling: Wahab 16-4-46-2 (w6), Junaid 7-1-23-0, Yasir 30.1-6-76-7 (nb1), Hafeez 10-3-24-0, Babar 14-4-34-1.

Pakistan 2nd innings
Mohammad Hafeez not out 46
Ahmed Shehzad not out 43
Extras: (b3) 03
Total (for no loss, 11.2 overs) 92
Bowling: Herath 4.2-0-30-0, Prasad 2-1-10-0, Pradeep 2-0-18-0, Perera 3-0-31-0.