Evening session
Sarfraz Ahmed has given a boost to Pakistan’s hopes of saving the Test - and his own prospects of an extended run behind the timbers - with a fine half-century.
The wicketkeeper reached the end of a rain-curtailed final session on 70 not out, raising Pakistan’s advantage to 107 with three second innings wickets left.
Bilawal Bhatti batted bravely in support of Sarfraz as he nursed a hamstring injury.
As such, he might have hoped for a little more luck than the ball spinning back onto his stumps when he blocked a yorker by Shaminda Eranga after making 32.
Sarfraz and Saeed Ajmal will start the fifth day looking to stretch the lead beyond the reach of the Sri Lankans.
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Afternoon session
Pakistan 265 for six
Sri Lanka’s slow crawl to victory took in two more important scalps in the afternoon session as both Misbah-ul-Haq and Asad Shafiq were sent back to the pavilion.
Rangana Herath removed Misbah three short of his century with the perfect left-armers dismissal, as the neatly flighted delivery pitched on off stump and hit the top of it.
As with Misbah, a lengthy, potentially match-saving innings is within Shafiq’s capabilities, such as the century he hit here aginst South Africa in October.
However, he fell shortly after the second new ball was taken, edging Shminda Eranga to Dimuth Karunaratne at slip when on 23.
The unlikely rescue mission now weighs on the shoulders of Sarfraz Ahmed, who was on 39 at the break.
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Morning session
Pakistan 189 for 4
Misbah-ul-Haq gives a new meaning to the word “watchful” when he is tasked with saving a Test match.
The Pakistan captain is never knowingly rushed at the best of times. And this morning’s session was the worst of times.
Misbah made it until after the mid-session drinks break without troubling the scorers by scoring a run.
He had lost one partner in the great rescue act by the time he did get off the mark for the day, as Younis Khan had just been caught behind off Suranga Lakmal for 77.
Misbah, who had reached 74 by the time of the interval, and his new partner, Asad Shafiq, have previous when it comes to batting at this ground.
They will be aiming to go well past the 34 runs needed to make Sri Lanka bat again when they return after lunch.
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