Kumar Sangakkara and Malinda Warnapura hit half-centuries to help Sri Lanka reach 120-2 by lunch on the opening day of the first Test against Pakistan today.
Kumar Sangakkara and Malinda Warnapura hit half-centuries to help Sri Lanka reach 120-2 by lunch on the opening day of the first Test against Pakistan today.
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Sangakkara was unbeaten at the break on 51 with skipper Mahela Jayawardene on five not out after Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to bat on a flat pitch.
Warnapura earlier steadied the innings with a brisk 48-ball 59 to help his team recover from the early loss of debutant opener Tharanga Paranavitana, who was dismissed for a first-ball duck.
Pakistan's frontline paceman Umar Gul struck with the fourth ball of the innings when he forced left-hander Paranavitana to edge into the slip where Misbah-ul-Haq took a smart catch.
Warnapura and Sangakkara added 90 for the second wicket before first-change Yasir Arafat provided the breakthrough. Warnapura, who hit nine boundaries, edged Arafat to Haq who held a low catch in the slip.
The 32,000-seater National Stadium stadium wore a deserted look as policemen outnumbered the spectators in the first session of the Test -- the first in 14 months that Pakistan has participated in.
Pakistan's last Test was against India at Bangalore in December 2007 and the team has not played a home Test since facing South Africa in October that year with security concerns keeping foreign teams away from Pakistan in 2008.
In March last year, Australia refused to tour the troubled country, citing a high security risk for their players.
India cancelled its team's tour to Pakistan in the wake of terrorist attacks on Mumbai, which New Dehli blamed on militants based in Pakistan.
Pakistan left out rookie paceman Mohammad Talha from the squad of 12, giving Test caps to 22-year-old opener Khurram Manzoor and 24-year-old fast bowler Sohail Khan.
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