Clinical Sri Lanka take 1-0 lead
It had rained for most of the night in Dubai and the floodlights were switched on to brighten a gloomy morning, but there were no alarms for Sri Lanka once play began on time on the fifth day
It had rained for most of the night in Dubai and the floodlights were switched on to brighten a gloomy morning, but there were no alarms for Sri Lanka once play began on time on the fifth day
It was a Test match to remember for Sri Lanka, especially their openers and fast bowlers. Stats highlights from their win
Sri Lanka's captain Angelo Mathews hailed his side's ability to keep fighting after they chased down 137 to win an attritional Test in Dubai
In their win against Pakistan, Sri Lanka truly knew the boundaries of their ability and rarely sought to exceed them
It is hard to pin-point one single reason for Pakistan's capitulation in Dubai; there were many chinks in their armour
Pakistan's leader Misbah-ul-Haq batted with limitless patience and rookie Sarfraz Ahmed punched his way to a maiden half-century to give their side a glimmer of hope of saving a Test that once seemed lost
Wicketkeeper-batsman says stretching lead beyond 200 could bring Pakistan back into the second Test
Though unsuccessful for long stretches during Pakistan's rearguard, the Sri Lanka attack demonstrated admirable patience and application
Sri Lanka were a wicket away from breaking Pakistan after lunch on the third day of the second Test in Dubai, but they could not take it
Two quick wickets for Sri Lanka on the fourth morning would alter the Test's outlook considerably, Sri Lanka coach Graham Ford said, after Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan stalled the visitors on day three.
Sri Lanka have the ingredients of a fine Test team but a little all-round dynamism might make the end product more appetising
Saeed Ajmal made a relatively late entry into international cricket but didn't play his first Test till he was almost 32. He is 36 now and is doing his best to make up for lost time having been a key player for Pakistan for many years
At 19 for 3, Pakistan seemed to be heading towards an inevitable defeat, but Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq both scored fifties to keep Sri Lanka at bay on the third day
Kaushal Silva and Mahela Jayawardene did not put on a show but their exercise in restraint, self-preservation and gradual accumulation was exactly what Sri Lanka needed
Pakistan's seamers failed to create opportunities as a unit. Their bowling coach Mohammad Akram reiterated that the bowlers let Sri Lanka off the hook by not maintaining any pressure
Hamstrung by a hand injury, Mahela Jayawardene was forced to guts it out to make his 32nd Test century
Sri Lanka's seamers tested the Pakistan batsmen consistently with movement off the pitch to bowl the home side out for 165. Then Sri Lanka's top-order ensured they took them to end of play with the loss of only one wicket
From looking completely out of their depth in Australia to destroying Pakistan's top order in Dubai, Sri Lanka's fast bowlers have come a long way to realising their penetrative potential
Question marks will continue to hang over Khurram Manzoor's technique, but the opener fought it out to score 73 on a day when few of his team-mates could put bat on ball
Kaushal Silva narrowly missed a maiden hundred on day two in Abu Dhabi, but Mahela Jayawardene emphasised the value of Silva's 95, which he said was as good as a ton
Returning to a team full of wicketkeeper-batsmen, Prasanna Jayawardene shows what he brings to Sri Lanka's table, either side of the stumps
Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq is banking on his spinners to deliver at a venue that he said has assisted turn significantly in the past