Manzoor, Yousuf rescue Pakistan

Pakistan opener Khurram Manzoor plays a cut shot during the first day of the third and final Test against Sri Lanka at The Sinhalease Sports Club grounds in Colombo yesterday.Photo: AFP

Khurram Manzoor and Mohammad Yousuf narrowly missed scoring centuries as they led Pakistan's recovery on the opening day of the final cricket Test against Sri Lanka here on Monday.
Pakistan, sent in to bat in overcast conditions by Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara, collapsed to 34-2 within the first hour as left-arm seamer Thilan Thushara grabbed two wickets in four balls.
Manzoor (93) and Yousuf (90) lifted the beleaguered tourists with a 167-run partnership for the third wicket as Pakistan moved to 289-7 by stumps at the Sinhalese Sports Club here.
Manzoor, a 23-year-old from Karachi, fell short of his maiden Test century in only his fifth match, while the seasoned Yousuf missed his 25th ton after the pair had stayed together for more than a session.
Shoaib Malik (45) and Misbahul Haq (27) put on 75 for the fifth wicket to carry the total to 285-4 before the second new ball taken shortly before stumps claimed three wickets for two runs.
Thushara trapped Malik leg-before for his third wicket of the day, before Nuwan Kulasekera had Misbah caught behind and bowled Umar Gul to open up the Pakistan tail.
When stumps were drawn, Kamran Akmal and Danish Kaneria were at the crease on one run apiece.
Pakistan are hoping to deny Sri Lanka a clean sweep of the series after losing the first Test in Galle on the fourth morning and the second at the P Sara Oval here in three days.
Openers Fawad Alam and Manzoor had put on 34 within the first hour when Thushara struck twice in his third over.
Left-handed Alam, who hit a brilliant 168 on debut in the previous Test, made 16 when he edged Thushara to wicketkeeper Tillakaratne Dilshan.
Three balls later, Pakistan captain Younus Khan chopped a delivery wide of the off-stump on to his stumps after making two.
Yousuf hit the best shot of the day when he stepped out and lofted left-arm spinner Rangana Herath over the long-on fence for six.
Mansoor, who went to lunch on 42, reached his half-century in the first over after the break by smashing Thushara to the point boundary off successive deliveries.
Yousuf, a century-maker in the first Test in Galle, surpassed his 29th half-century soon after.
It was left to the retiring Chaminda Vaas to break the stand after tea when he had Manzoor edging a catch to Mahela Jayawardene in the slips with a delivery that moved away from the batsman after pitching.
Vaas, 35, who was ignored for the first two matches, replaced spinner Ajantha Mendis in the team a day after saying he will retire from Test cricket once the series has ended.
Yousuf himself departed three overs later in unfortunate circumstances when he was run out attempting a second run following an overthrow.
Yousuf drove Thushara to mid-off and easily completed a single -- his 7,000th Test run from 82 matches -- even as the throw from the fielder missed the mark and the ball sped to the outfield.
Yousuf tried to take a second run, but this time failed to beat Vaas' return into the wicketkeeper's gloves as Misbah hesitated mid-pitch.