Pakistan A earned a thrilling draw after 27-year-old right-handerMisbah-ul-Haq of Sargodha rescued his team with a defiant knock of 91 onthe fourth and final day of the First ‘Test’ against Sri Lanka A at theRangiri Dambulla International Stadium
Sa'adi Thawfeeq16-Jun-2001Pakistan A earned a thrilling draw after 27-year-old right-handerMisbah-ul-Haq of Sargodha rescued his team with a defiant knock of 91 onthe fourth and final day of the First ‘Test’ against Sri Lanka A at theRangiri Dambulla International Stadium on Saturday.Pakistan A, chasing 214 for victory off a minimum of 69 overs, looked indanger of defeat at 98 for seven, 12 minutes before the tea break. ButMisbah, with excellent support from the tail, thwarted all attempts by SriLanka A skipper Tilan Samaraweera to capture the remaining three wickets.Pakistan eventually finished on 185 for nine wickets after facing 70 overs.The injured Shabbir Ahmed, batting with a runner, helped Misbah, who hasmade only a solitary Test appearance against New Zealand early this year,add 36 for the eighth wicket. Then Irfan Fazil, the No 10, frustratedSri Lanka A further by adding 48 runs for the ninth wicket in 91 minutes.Misbah’s defiant innings was ended at 182 in the 68th over, when he edged adelivery from left-arm spinner Sajeeva Weerakoon to Samaraweera at slip. Hebatted for 203 minutes and faced 188 balls, hitting one six and 13 fours.Irfan and last man Danish Kaneria played out the last few overs amid hightension to earn their side an honourable draw.Irfan’s contribution was only six not out, but he occupied the crease for98 minutes and faced 82 balls to defy the Sri Lankan bowlers.Misbah’s fine innings upstaged a good bowling performance from Samaraweerawho finished the match with a bag of ten wickets for 102. He took sixwickets for 55 runs in the second innings to equal his previous career-bestfigures for SSC v Singha SC at Maitland Place early this year.Pakistan coach-cum-manager Mudassar Nazar said a defensive move by the SriLanka captain probably cost them the match.”He pushed all the fielders back for Misbah and I think in the end it iswhat probably cost him the game. He should have attacked Misbah a bit morebecause the the ball was turning. Then he stood a better chance of winningthe match.”Misbah had to be the principal scorer and when he couldn’t scoreboundaries we decided to shut up shop at that stage,” said Mudassar.”It was a wonderful knock by Misbah. He has scored a lot of runs indomestic cricket, but some of the senior players have said that histechnique was flawed. He has given ample example in this innings,” saidMudassar.”It was very exciting game and it was a low-scoring affair where Sri Lankacame up trumps with their spin bowlers, their captain in particular,” hesaid.On a turning pitch Pakistan A batsmen found it difficult to cope with thespin of Samarawera who bowled craftily with intelligent field placings asone by one the batsmen were lured into his trap.Samaraweera, bringing himself on in the fourth over of the innings, achievedthe initial breakthrough with his third ball when he had Toufiq Umermis-hitting a drive to mid-on. He also picked up the wickets of Imran Farhatand Qaiser Abbas before taking himself off after an initial spell of sixovers for eight runs.Then, switching ends, he ended a threatening fifth-wicket partnership of 43in 49 minutes by taking the prize wicket of his opposite number Hasan Raza for 21.The obdurate Raza, a century-maker in the first innings with 107, was takenat slip by Upekha Fernando as the ball spun off the face of his bat. Raza’sdismisssal made Pakistan’s plight still worse. In the first innings he hadrescued his side from being 35 for four to 223 all out.Misbah, who partnered Raza in a fifth-wicket stand of 43, once againprovided resistance as Samaraweera went on to consume Humayun Farhat andYasir Arafat within nine runs of each other as Pakistan A slid to 104 for7 at tea.Misbah batted positively and reached his half-century off 92 balls in 95minutes with eight fours. He found an able partner in the injured ShabbirAhmed. The pair raised the total by a further 36 runs before Shabbir,batting with the aid of a runner due to a groin strain, edged a deliveryfrom leg-spinner Chandana Samarasinghe to Samaraweera at slip. He made 21with three fours.Misbah, mixing aggression with caution, continued to thwart the Sri Lankanbowling to make a top score of 91.Sri Lanka were left to rue a dropped catch at seven offered by Misbah whenhe edged Sajika Weerakoon behind the wicket to Sangakkara who failed tohold it despite making a valiant attempt.Sri Lanka A added a further 40 runs in 81 minutes to their overnighttotal of 176 forsix6 before being dismissed for 216, leaving Samaraweeraundefeated on 20 made in 122 minutes.Leg-spinner Danish Kaneria took two of the four wickets to fall today, toend with figures of four for 64 and match figures of seven for 133. Fastbowler Yasir Arafat took three wickets to finish the match with six wickets.The second four-day unofficial Test commences at the NCC grounds on Tuesday.