SL set an uphill task for tourists

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Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara (L) plays a shot as Pakistan's Khurram Manzoor (R) looks on during the fourth day of the third and final Test at The Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) grounds in Colombo Thursday. — AFP photo

Sri Lanka 233 and 183 for 3 (Paranavitana 73, Sangakkara 50*) need a further 309 runs to beat Pakistan 299 and 425 for 9 dec (Malik 134, Akmal 74, Herath 5-157)
Set a massive 492 for victory, or more realistically 150 overs to survive, Sri Lanka made steady progress to 183 for 3 by the end of the penultimate day's play. Kumar Sangakkara was still there, but with Mahela Jayawardene experiencing a very rare SSC failure and the injured Tillakaratne Dilshan unlikely to bat, Sri Lanka were up against it. Danish Kaneria was once again the standout bowler, though one of his wickets was a gift from Ian Gould.
Malinda Warnapura and Tharanga Paranavitana had progressed with few alarms to 83 when a Kaneria delivery turned sharply and brushed Warnapura's pad on its way to leg slip. But as soon as the fielders went up, so did Gould's finger, and a clearly unhappy Warnapura trudged off. Sangakkara though was in no mood to budge, and he and Paranavitana turned the strike over cleverly, striking the odd loose balls crisply into the gaps.
As the partnership grew and the batsmen gained in confidence, Younis Khan, who had bowled himself earlier in the innings, turned to his predecessor as captain. And Shoaib Malik, who had proceeded to 134 earlier in the day, duly delivered, having Paranavitana smartly caught by Fawad Alam at short leg. When Kaneria then produced a peach of a delivery to kiss the outer edge of Jayawardene's bat, Sri Lanka were reeling, but the experience of Thilan Samaraweera was the perfect foil for Sangakkara as the final half hour was successfully negotiated to leave the side needing 309 on the final day. Along the way, Sangakkara also went past 7000 runs, only the second Sri Lankan to do so and in only his 83rd Test.
Pakistan's second innings had extended three overs after lunch, and with even Mohammad Aamer thwacking sixes on a placid pitch, Younis called them in with 425 on the board. Having established a stranglehold on the game on the third day, Pakistan put the boot in during the first session, with Umar Gul the star of the show. Only this time, it was with the bat. -Cricinfo