Hafeez helps Pakistan earn draw
Mohammad Hafeez made the most of his good batting form, and a benign pitch, to score a fluent half-century that helped Pakistan earn a comfortable draw in Abu Dhabi after being set a target of 302 from 67 overs
31/12Result
1st Test, Sri Lanka tour of United Arab Emirates at Abu Dhabi, Dec 31 2013 - Jan 4 2014
-
![Sri Lanka]( "Sri Lanka")
204 & 480/5d -
![Pakistan]( "Pakistan")
383 & 158/2 (52 ov)
Player of the Match
31/12Result
1st Test, Sri Lanka tour of United Arab Emirates at Abu Dhabi, Dec 31 2013 - Jan 4 2014
-
![Sri Lanka]( "Sri Lanka")
204 & 480/5d -
![Pakistan]( "Pakistan")
383 & 158/2 (52 ov)
Player of the Match
Day 5
Resilient Sri Lanka overcome Test layoff
Sri Lanka will be pleased at having yielded no ground to Pakistan, after having been dormant in this format for so long. The pitch may have had the final say, but Sri Lanka were the more satisfied side in the end
Day 4
Mathews ton hands SL advantage
Angelo Mathews scored a career-best 116 to fashion a remarkable turnaround for Sri Lanka in the Abu Dhabi Test after they had conceded a 179-run lead to Pakistan in the first innings.
Mathews' high, and Ajmal's low
Stats highlights from the fourth day's play in Abu Dhabi, when Sri Lanka staged a magnificent fightback
Adnan Akmal ruled out with fractured finger
Pakistan wicketkeeper Adnan Akmal is out of the ongoing first Test against Sri Lanka after fracturing his finger
Sri Lanka fans have reasons to smile
If Sri Lanka's young cricketers can build on Friday's gains, perhaps in years to come fans will look upon this match not simply as Angelo Mathews' coming of age, but as the turn of an era
'We'll be pressing for victory'- Chandimal
Sri Lanka batsman Dinesh Chandimal declared his team's intention of pressing hard for victory on a day-five pitch that is likely to be receptive to spin bowling
Mohammad Akram backs Pakistan bowlers after tough day
Mohammad Akram, the Pakistan bowling coach, said he was pleased with the effort of his bowlers in spite of their performance on the fourth day against Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi
Day 3
Late strikes put Pakistan on top
Bilawal Bhatti and Junaid Khan picked up three wickets late on the third day to put Pakistan in a dominant position at stumps on third day despite Sri Lanka being able to erase the first-innings deficit
Pakistan struggle with No. 3 conundrum
Azhar Ali suffered a dip in form in 2013 but replacing him with Mohammad Hafeez may not be a solution for Pakistan's long-term plans
Persistent Kaushal makes a case for the future
Kaushal Silva's entry into the Test scene hasn't been smooth, but if given the opportunitiy to blossom, Sri Lanka may have a man who can stabilise the top order
ORS will give greater efficiency - Taufel
Simon Taufel, the ICC training and performance manager for umpires, hopes the Officiating Replay System (ORS) could revolutionise the role of the third umpire
Day 2
Misbah, Younis centuries flatten Sri Lanka
Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan added 218 for the fourth wicket to put Pakistan, leading by 123 runs at stumps on day two, in a strong position in the Abu Dhabi Test
'Need to play first hour well' - Younis
Younis Khan, who scored his 23rd Test hundred on Wednesday said Pakistan will need to add to their substantial lead in the first hour to give themselves a good chance of taking control in the Test
Graham Ford rues Sri Lanka's missed review
Sri Lanka coach Graham Ford has rued the missed opportunity to review an lbw shout against Misbah-ul-Haq, soon after tea on day three
SL need more Tests to nurture pace-bowling talents
Although Sri Lanka ended up conceding a big lead to Pakistan on the second day, there were a few signs of a potentially good attack. For their young bowlers to develop, however, Sri Lanka must play more Tests
Day 1
Mathews working hard to justify captaincy
Without a mandate to rule, Angelo Mathews is having to work extremely hard to prove his worth as captain. He played an important innings to save his side from disaster on day one in Abu Dhabi
Others
Mahela under the microscope after horror Test
Twin failures in the Abu Dhabi Test left Mahela Jayawardene without a half-century in his last 14 innings. At 36, he finds his place in Sri Lanka's team under question for the first time
Pakistan take top-order pluses from draw
In the second innings in Abu Dhabi, albeit on a tame pitch, Mohammad Hafeez brought his ODI form into Tests and Ahmed Shehzad scored a half-century on debut - signs that have pleased Pakistan and Misbah-ul-Haq
Misbah wary of rusty Sri Lanka
Pakistan's captain Misbah-ul-Haq has said his team will not be complement even though they are more in touch with the demands of Test cricket than their opponents Sri Lanka have been of late