Murali strikes after Sangakkara special

Close Pakistan 176 and 89 for 2 (Malik 30*, Iqbal 9*, Muralitharan 2-20) trail Sri Lanka 185 and 448 for 5 dec (Sangakkara 185, Jayawardene 82, Samaraweera 64) by 368 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

Sri Lanka, thrust by an immense 185 from Kumar Sangakkara and a twirling late afternoon special from Muttiah Muralitharan, edged closer to a memorable victory against Pakistan at the SSC in Colombo. Sangakkara's ninth Test hundred, third against Pakistan and second in successive Tests against them, had earlier helped Sri Lanka set Pakistan a target of 458. Having tiptoed to 59 without loss, Pakistan lost two quick wickets to Muralitharan to end the day a little forlorn at 89 for 2.

The enormity of Pakistan's task - both in terms of time and runs - was mostly the result of Sangakkara's hundred, one which contained enough struggle, changes in tempo and pure strokeplay to warrant consideration for epic status. Certainly, it encompassed a vast enough span of play - 109 overs - for it to be considered and relative to yesterday, his touch was gold from the very start.

The first two balls of the day were effortlessly thwacked straight to cover for no run, evidence of what was to come. Pakistan's opening bowlers carried the flatness of souls waiting for a new ball, though when it came, Sangakkara, rather than the bowlers, was revitalised. The fourth over of the new ball, 11th of the day, from Razzaq brought an edged boundary through the slips, sandwiched by easy, fluid drives through mid-on and wide mid-off, the latter on left knee. That brought him to 99 and though he lost Mahela Jayawardene and a 158-run partnership in the next over - yet another top-edged hook dismissal- he brought up his hundred soon after.

The real blitz arrived after lunch. Four overs into the second session, Mohammad Asif was pulled, driven and pulled again in successive balls. As Pakistan meandered, Sangakkara brought up his 150; his century had come in 209 balls and he needed only 71 more for the next 50.

It wasn't in isolation as Thilan Samaraweera offered robust support in a 144-run partnership. He quickly settled after a cautious start in the face of spirited bowling from Mohammad Asif, but a square drive brought up 300 halfway through the morning and some comfort. When the spinners arrived, he unveiled a succession of cover drives and after lunch, he harried bowlers, late cutting Danish Kaneria and then gliding down the pitch to drive him straight down the ground. That was his seventh four and his fifty - off 104 balls - came a few overs later. By this time, bowling had become a token form of protest against the bat.

In search of quicker runs, Sangakkara went sweeping and Samaraweera driving, a futile confirmation that when one wicket in a big partnership falls, another does soon after. Predictably, Pakistan's attack suffered; Asif and Danish Kaneria had willed themselves through the morning, but as the afternoon wore on, were understandably spent. Kaneria, in particular, bowled without luck, a situation that warrants calling up Harbhajan Singh, if only to ask how to deal with a situation where good bowling brings no luck. The others were jaded and a pitch, quickly easing up, made them seem more so, reliant on the smaller victories of a maiden over here and there.

The turn and bounce that Kaneria got, Muralitharan also enjoyed later. Imran Farhat's contribution to Pakistan's controlled start, was partly some pleasant drives and partly in a mental note to himself that balls a foot outside off-stump don't always have to be chased. Farveez Maharoof did his post-cricket credentials as a police interrogator no harm, relentlessly probing away outside his off-stump, but with little success. It was finally the master interrogator, Muralitharan who lured Farhat forward with some dip before sharp spin away caught his edge and gave Jayawardene his 100th catch.

Shoaib Malik, unbeaten on a precarious 31, must have felt that the requisite quota of fortune any individual requires in an endeavour as massive as this, has probably been used up. Sangakkara's only blemish was to drop him off Lasith Malinga when he was on 14, another edge fell just short and two leg-before appeals appeared more out than not. He did survive Muralitharan and all the mischievous changes in flight, pace, angle and degrees of spin that brings for over two hours, which in itself is some achievement. It was an examination that Younis Khan didn't survive. Tomorrow a day of trial by Muralitharan and a gaggle of cackling close fielders - Sri Lankan cricket's enduring image of the age - awaits Pakistan. Not many have passed it.

Mahela Jayawardene c Razzaq b Asif 82 (285 for 3)
Top-edges a high bouncer to deep square leg

Kumar Sangakkara c Inzamam b Malik 185 (433-3)
Top-edges a sweep to deep midwicket

Thilan Samaraweera c Farhat b Afridi 64 (438-5)
Dancing down and slapped a drive straight to cover

Imran Farhat c Jayawardene b Muralitharan 34 (59 for 1)
Defensive push forward, beaten by turn and edged to slip

Younis Khan b Muralitharan 8 (71 for 2)
Bowled by big off-break, making room to cut