Chandimal puts SL on top

Captain Dinesh Chandimal made an unbeaten 155 as Sri Lanka put the pressure on Pakistan on the second day of the first Test in Abu Dhabi on Friday.

Openers Sami Aslam (31 not out) and Shan Masood (30 not out) negotiated 23 overs to take Pakistan to 64-0, still trailing Sri Lanka's first-innings total of 419 by 355 runs.

They need another 156 to avoid the follow-on, a task which should be simple on a flat Sheikh Zayed Stadium pitch.

Both Masood and Aslam, opening for the first time together, looked assured as Sri Lanka attacked through all their three spinners and two seamers in short spells.

But it was a memorable day for Sri Lankan skipper Chandimal, whose marathon knock of over nine hours in hot conditions propelled his team to a strong total.

SCORES IN BRIEF

SRI LANKA: First innings 419 (Karunaratne 93, Chandimal 155 not out, Dickwella 83, Perera 33; Abbas 3-75, Yasir 3-120, Hasan 2-88)

PAKISTAN: First innings 64 for no loss (Masood 30 not out, Aslam 31 not out)