Malik ton puts Pakistan on top

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Shoaib Malik unleashes a fierce cut shot

Pakistan 299 and 300 for 5 (Misbah 65, Shoaib 106*, Akmal 60*) lead Sri Lanka 233 by 366 runs
At 67 for 4, with both Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf back in the pavilion, Pakistan were in danger of subsiding to another defeat, but two century partnerships utterly transformed the game in the final two sessions on the third day.
The common factor was Shoaib Malik, the former captain, who put recent indifferent form behind him with a beautifully paced hundred. Misbah-ul-Haq and Kamran Akmal were perfect foils, scoring half-centuries, and by stumps, the Pakistan lead had swelled to 366.
Sri Lanka had started the final session promisingly, with the runs drying up and Misbah perishing to an indiscreet shot. Having given Angelo Mathews the charge, he was surprised by the extra bounce and the thin edge was easily taken by Kumar Sangakkara. With the lead then at 252 and the second new ball looming, it was Sri Lanka's big chance to wrest back the initiative. Instead, Malik and Akmal took it away with some wonderfully positive batting, as a tiring attack started to leak runs.
Throughout the series, Sri Lanka had sparked collapses with the second new ball, but after tea at the SSC, there was only a torrent of runs. Akmal set the tone with a lovely drive and a powerful pull off Nuwan Kulasekara, and Malik joined in with booming drives through midwicket and cover off Thilan Thushara. When Chaminda Vaas came on for perhaps his final spell in international cricket, Akmal responded with a mighty heave over long-off, and Sri Lanka's woes were compounded when Sangakkara muffed a stumping chance off Rangana Herath when Malik was on 91.
Having breathed a sigh of relief, Malik didn't look back. A four and a six down the ground off Herath took him to his hundred from just 178 balls, and when Akmal brought up his half-century moments later, there was plenty for the dressing room to smile about.
The game had turned after lunch though, with Malik and Misbah consolidating against bowling that was steady without being unduly threatening. Both rotated the strike cleverly, and as the afternoon session drew to a close, the big strokes were unveiled. Herath, the pick of the bowlers, was pulled for four and then straight-driven for six, before a glance to fine leg off Thushara took Misbah to his third half-century in Tests. Malik, who had been the most positive of the batsmen in the first innings, also smashed Herath for a straight six, and when Misbah ended the session with a sweet on-drive off Angelo Mathews, Pakistan were right on top. -Cricinfo