Pakistan v Sri Lanka first Test: Rangana Herath makes history
Rangana Herath made history as the first left-arm spinner to reach 400 Test wickets as Sri Lanka bowled Pakistan out for 114 to pull off a remarkable 21-run win in Abu Dhabi.
First Test scores: (Abu Dhabi)
Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by 21 runs
Sri Lanka first innings: 419 (Chandimal 155*, Karunaratne 93, Dickwella 83; Mohammad Abbas 3-75, Yasir Shah 3-120)
Sri Lanka second innings: 138 (Dickwella 40*, Silva 25; Yasir 5-51)
Pakistan first innings: 422 (Azhar Ali 85, Sohail 76, Khan 59, Aslam 51; Herath 5-93)
Pakistan second innings: 114 (Sohail 34; Herath 6-43)
Day five report
Rangana Herath made history as the first left-arm spinner to reach 400 Test wickets as Sri Lanka bowled Pakistan out for 114 to pull off a remarkable 21-run win in Abu Dhabi.
Sri Lanka's hopes of inflicting a first ever defeat on the hosts at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium appeared slim after they were bowled out themselves for 138 and could therefore set Pakistan only 136 to win.
But veteran Herath (six for 43) and his fellow finger spinner Dilruwan Perera (three for 46) had other ideas.
Sri Lanka resumed on 69 for four on the final morning and doubled that total for the loss of their last six wickets as leg-spinner Yasir Shah (five for 51) did most damage.
Niroshan Dickwella remained defiant, however, and when Pakistan's batsmen then hit almost immediate trouble it became clear the Sri Lanka wicketkeeper's unbeaten 40 could well be significant.
So it proved as Herath finished the match with his 400th wicket when number 11 Mohammad Abbas was last out lbw, and it will be Sri Lanka who start the second and final Test with a 1-0 lead in Dubai on Friday.
Day four report
Pakistan batsman Haris Sohail marked his maiden Test with an important half-century before Sri Lanka's top order succumbed to spin in Abu Dhabi.
Sohail found the boundary rope nine times, clearing it twice, en route to 76 from 161 balls while Azhar Ali top-scored with 85 as Pakistan made 422 to eke out a three-run first-innings lead on day three of the first Test.
Rangana Herath claimed his 32nd five-wicket haul to ensure Pakistan's advantage was minimal but the tourists limped to 69 for four at the close, with all four wickets going to the slow bowlers.
Dimuth Karunaratne walked even though neither his bat nor glove seemingly made any contact with a Yasir Shah delivery that was pouched at short leg, before part-timer Asad Shafiq had Lahiru Thirimanne caught behind.
Sohail's day further improved when his slow left-arm spin trapped Kaushal Silva in front and Pakistan ended the day firmly in charge when Sri Lanka captain and first-innings centurion Dinesh Chandimal edged to slip off Yasir's legspin.
Pakistan have now been cut to 8/11 from 7/4 with Sky Bet to win while the draw is 11/8 and an unlikely Sri Lanka victory is priced at 14/1.
Day three report
Skipper Azhar Ali passed 5,000 Test runs as Pakistan made solid progress with the bat on the third day of the opening match against Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi.
The 32-year-old, in his 115th innings, became the fourth quickest Pakistan batsman to reach the milestone during his unbeaten 74.
Openers Shan Masood and Sami Aslam also struck half-centuries to lift the designated hosts to 266 for four at the close, trailing Sri Lanka's first-innings 419 by 153 runs, making a draw the most likely outcome.
Masood and Aslam provided a solid platform for Azhar with an opening partnership of 114, but the pair both departed in quick succession to give the tourists a sniff.
Asad Shafiq added 39 in a stand of 79 with Azhar and, after he became Rangana Herath's second victim, Pakistan also lost Babar Azam to the last ball of the day. He edged Nuwan Pradeep behind for 28.
The slow run-rate of the day saw Pakistan's odds pushed out 7/4 with the draw cut to odds-on at 8/11. A Sri Lanka win can be backed at 6/1 with Sky Bet.
Day two report
Dinesh Chandimal hit an unbeaten 155 as Sri Lanka amassed an imposing first-innings total of 419 in the first Test against Pakistan.
Opener Dimuth Karunaratne stood firm at the top of the order on the way to 93 as Sri Lanka suffered two early blows after the loss of Kausal Silva (12) and Lahiru Thirimanne (nought) left them teetering on 35 for two.
Kusal Mendis (10) was also dismissed cheaply but that brought Chandimal to the crease, and he put on 100 for the fourth wicket with Karunaratne before going on to build a 134-run stand with wicketkeeper-batsman Niroshan Dickwella, who struck 83.
Dilruwan Perera added 33 to the total before Sri Lanka lost their last four wickets for 23 runs. Mohammad Abbas was the pick of the bowlers with three for 75.
In reply, Pakistan reached 64 without loss at stumps, with Shan Masood 30no and Sami Aslam 31no.
Pakistan are 5/4 with Sky Bet for victory, Sri Lanka can be backed at 4/1 and the draw is on offer at 6/5.
Day one report
Dimuth Karunaratne was run-out seven runs short of a century on day one of the first Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi.
Sri Lanka opener Karunaratne had helped rescue his side from 61 for three before a mix-up with Dinesh Chandimal saw him sent him packing after a fourth-wicket stand of 100.
Chandimal (60 not out) recorded his 13th Test half-century as the tourists closed the opening day on 227 for four.
Pakistan are the 11/10 favourites with Sky Bet to claim victory. Sri Lanka can be backed for the win at 7/4 and the draw is on offer at 3/1.
Pakistan, playing a Test match for the first time since Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan retired, had their opponents struggling at 61 for three at lunch.
Kaushal Silva played on to his stumps facing Hasan Ali before Yasir Shah trapped Lahiru Thirimanne lbw and then had Kusal Mendis caught behind.
Karunaratne and Chandimal battled through a testing afternoon session without losing a wicket as Sri Lanka fought back.
But with a seventh Test century seeming inevitable, Karunaratne set off for a single when on 93 only for Chandimal to stay in his crease. New Pakistan Test captain Sarfraz Ahmed completed the run-out.
Test cricket's new laws came into play three balls later when Pakistan called for a review in an attempt to overturn a not-out lbw decision against Niroshan Dickwella. The technology returned a verdict of 'umpire's call', which no longer sees the unsuccessful team lose one of their two reviews per innings.
Dickwella made the most of his reprieve and went on to hit the day's sole six as he ended unbeaten on 42.