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Tea Pakistan 217 for 1 (Hafeez 105*, Ali 45*) v Sri Lanka
Taufeeq and Hafeez opened with 50 or more for the 11th time © AFP
Sri Lanka tried to carry forward the momentum from Galle by inserting Pakistan at the SSC Ground, but on the backbreaker that this pitch is, and against obstinate Pakistan top order, it was a task equivalent to milking rocks. These rocks yielded little milk as Pakistan reached tea for the loss of just one wicket. Even that wicket was more a gift than reward, and Taufeeq Umar would have surely kicked himself more than once when watching centurion Mohammad Hafeez and Azhar Ali milking the benevolent SSC track in the middle session.
In the back drop of an attacking half-century by Taufeeq, his 21st score of 50 or more, Hafeez played himself back into form on what has so far been a tour of woe. It was no coincidence that the openers came good for Pakistan. They have enjoyed, and deserved, rare faith for a Pakistan opening pairing. This is the 17th straight Test they are opening in, easily a Pakistan record. They have responded with five century stands, another record for Pakistan, and today's 78 was their sixth half-century association.
Taufeeq scored 65 of those 78, allowing Hafeez the anonymity he desperately needed. Similarly, having played himself in, Hafeez blasted 85 off 98 balls in the middle session to let Azhar Ali, coming off a golden duck in Galle, settle in. Hafeez scored 93 of the unbeaten 139-run second-wicket stand. There were two moments of great relief: when he reached his first international fifty since March and then his fifth Test century.
Mahela Jayawardene's call to field first - to exploit whatever little juice the pitch might have and to put the notorious Pakistan batting under pressure - wasn't the only surprise of the morning. He opened the bowling with Angelo Mathews ahead of Nuwan Pradeep, who had been retained despite a slow start to his Test career. As early as the seventh over, the wicketkeeper was up to the stumps as the opening bowlers operated in the mid-120s. Seeing little scope with that plan, Jayawardene brought Pardeep on early, but his extra pace only made for easier stroke-making.
Taufeeq's two driven boundaries down the ground in the eighth over, Pradeep's second, were the first clear sign of intent. The second of those boundaries took Taufeeq to 23 off 25 out of a score of 26. A watchful, and at times uncertain, Hafeez was 3 off 22 then. In Pradeep's next over, Hafeez edged an outswinger, but soft hands and slowness of the pitch meant it fell well short of slip.
There was no movement off the pitch or in the air to trouble the batsmen. Suraj Randiv was introduced at the stroke of the first hour without any impression. When Mathews came back, Taufeeq welcomed him back with three fours in the 18th over. The third of those brought up the half-century, out of a team score of 62. No extra had been conceded until then.
The first extra and the first wicket were to arrive soon. Taufeeq now grew more adventurous, and three fours later he edged a shortish delivery to Prasanna Jayawardene standing up. There was nothing wicket-taking about that delivery except that it did. Hafeez, 12 off 55 then, and Ali saw off the next 24 minutes without incident. It is likely Hafeez didn't have a proper lunch because he came out and feasted on the bowling.
In the first over after the break, he played a big sweep, and mistimed it for two, but he was trusting the pitch enough to not pull back. He played havoc with the spinners' rhythm. He danced down the wicket, he played the lap shot, and when they pitched slightly short he rocked back to play square. Even Pakistan's nemesis Rangana Herath couldn't bother them.
Hafeez brought up the half-century with a punch wide of point, and it seemed you heard the sigh of relief. He lofted over the infied and played the lap well, but there was nothing casual about the effort. Even in the Colombo heat, he wouldn't come out of his helmet and change it for a cap like Ali did. Perhaps it was some zone he didn't want to come out of.
There was a moment of concern when he sliced a topspinner from Randiv. His head fell down in disappointment, and he had almost begun to walk back when he realised he had hit it well enough to clear Kulasekara, who ran back from mid-on. Hafeez was 65 then. In due time he brought up his century with a sweep to beat deep backward square, and went down in a sajda.
Ali stayed inconspicuous in this stand and reached a cool 45 before tea. In the last over before tea, Hafeez nearly joined Taufeeq in kicking himself as he edged Mathews down the leg side, but the umpire asked him to stop as he checked it for a no-ball. Mathews had over-stepped. Hafeez rubbed some salt into that wound by pulling him for four later in the over.
Taufeeq and Hafeez opened with 50 or more for the 11th time © AFP
Sri Lanka tried to carry forward the momentum from Galle by inserting Pakistan at the SSC Ground, but on the backbreaker that this pitch is, and against obstinate Pakistan top order, it was a task equivalent to milking rocks. These rocks yielded little milk as Pakistan reached tea for the loss of just one wicket. Even that wicket was more a gift than reward, and Taufeeq Umar would have surely kicked himself more than once when watching centurion Mohammad Hafeez and Azhar Ali milking the benevolent SSC track in the middle session.
In the back drop of an attacking half-century by Taufeeq, his 21st score of 50 or more, Hafeez played himself back into form on what has so far been a tour of woe. It was no coincidence that the openers came good for Pakistan. They have enjoyed, and deserved, rare faith for a Pakistan opening pairing. This is the 17th straight Test they are opening in, easily a Pakistan record. They have responded with five century stands, another record for Pakistan, and today's 78 was their sixth half-century association.
Taufeeq scored 65 of those 78, allowing Hafeez the anonymity he desperately needed. Similarly, having played himself in, Hafeez blasted 85 off 98 balls in the middle session to let Azhar Ali, coming off a golden duck in Galle, settle in. Hafeez scored 93 of the unbeaten 139-run second-wicket stand. There were two moments of great relief: when he reached his first international fifty since March and then his fifth Test century.
Mahela Jayawardene's call to field first - to exploit whatever little juice the pitch might have and to put the notorious Pakistan batting under pressure - wasn't the only surprise of the morning. He opened the bowling with Angelo Mathews ahead of Nuwan Pradeep, who had been retained despite a slow start to his Test career. As early as the seventh over, the wicketkeeper was up to the stumps as the opening bowlers operated in the mid-120s. Seeing little scope with that plan, Jayawardene brought Pardeep on early, but his extra pace only made for easier stroke-making.
Taufeeq's two driven boundaries down the ground in the eighth over, Pradeep's second, were the first clear sign of intent. The second of those boundaries took Taufeeq to 23 off 25 out of a score of 26. A watchful, and at times uncertain, Hafeez was 3 off 22 then. In Pradeep's next over, Hafeez edged an outswinger, but soft hands and slowness of the pitch meant it fell well short of slip.
There was no movement off the pitch or in the air to trouble the batsmen. Suraj Randiv was introduced at the stroke of the first hour without any impression. When Mathews came back, Taufeeq welcomed him back with three fours in the 18th over. The third of those brought up the half-century, out of a team score of 62. No extra had been conceded until then.
The first extra and the first wicket were to arrive soon. Taufeeq now grew more adventurous, and three fours later he edged a shortish delivery to Prasanna Jayawardene standing up. There was nothing wicket-taking about that delivery except that it did. Hafeez, 12 off 55 then, and Ali saw off the next 24 minutes without incident. It is likely Hafeez didn't have a proper lunch because he came out and feasted on the bowling.
In the first over after the break, he played a big sweep, and mistimed it for two, but he was trusting the pitch enough to not pull back. He played havoc with the spinners' rhythm. He danced down the wicket, he played the lap shot, and when they pitched slightly short he rocked back to play square. Even Pakistan's nemesis Rangana Herath couldn't bother them.
Hafeez brought up the half-century with a punch wide of point, and it seemed you heard the sigh of relief. He lofted over the infied and played the lap well, but there was nothing casual about the effort. Even in the Colombo heat, he wouldn't come out of his helmet and change it for a cap like Ali did. Perhaps it was some zone he didn't want to come out of.
There was a moment of concern when he sliced a topspinner from Randiv. His head fell down in disappointment, and he had almost begun to walk back when he realised he had hit it well enough to clear Kulasekara, who ran back from mid-on. Hafeez was 65 then. In due time he brought up his century with a sweep to beat deep backward square, and went down in a sajda.
Ali stayed inconspicuous in this stand and reached a cool 45 before tea. In the last over before tea, Hafeez nearly joined Taufeeq in kicking himself as he edged Mathews down the leg side, but the umpire asked him to stop as he checked it for a no-ball. Mathews had over-stepped. Hafeez rubbed some salt into that wound by pulling him for four later in the over.