Another session, another exercise in evenness. And at another break, neither team sits in clear ascendancy. The nightwatchman Abdur Rauf looked like frustrating the Sri Lankan medium-pacers into tiring down on a hot and humid day, but they struck to remove both Rauf and Younis Khan to reduce Pakistan to 80 for 4. From there on, though, Mohammad Yousuf and Misbah-ul-Haq negotiated the rest of the session in a sound manner to restore the balance in the contest.
Angelo Mathews became the second debutant in the match to take a wicket in his first over, removing Younis just before the drinks break, but it was during the toil of the first hour that Sri Lanka kept Pakistan from running free. After two overs from Ajantha Mendis right at the top, both Nuwan Kulasekara and Thilan Thushara gave the batsmen a tough time. Playing and missing, prodding and nudging, Younis and Rauf survived and put together a sizeable partnership. What worked for them was that there wasn't as much seam movement as yesterday.
It was Rauf who, surprisingly, took the lead. By the time Younis cut Kulasekara for three in the sixth over - his first confident shot of the innings - he had faced the same number of deliveries as Rauf, 32, but scored 10 as opposed to Rauf's 19. Rauf showed the tendency to play inside the line of the ball, but the fatal edge came only after the two had added 50 for the third wicket, 31 of which Rauf contribued.
Just before the first hour turned over, Kumar Sangakkara brought Mathews on and Younis played at a wide delivery to end an unconvincing innings. Luckily for Pakistan, Yousuf and Misbah were more confident and comfortable than the men they replaced.
Yousuf did have three shouts against him early on in the piece, but wasn't close to getting out to any. He looked to counter Thushara's swing by moving outside the line of off stump, and a couple of flashy shots there got him boundaries too. Misbah, in his brief unbeaten stay, looked the most comfortable batsman on this pitch. He was neither beaten nor keen to hit the bowlers off rhythm. A statement of intent was issued to Mendis, though, when Misbah read a googly early and lofted him over midwicket.
Mendis didn't look like he had settled into any sort of rhythm, giving 22 in his five overs. Misbah and Yousuf had added 40 for the fifth wicket in 12 overs
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