Pakistan turned a Test that had been an abysmal advertisement for cricket for four days and one session on its head, with an incredible batting performance after lunch on the final day, when they scored 302 runs in 57.3 overs to sucker-punch Sri Lanka
Stats highlights from an incredible third Test in Sharjah, where Pakistan pulled off one of their best run-chases to level the series
Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq hailed his team after they pulled off their second-highest successful run chase to level the series against Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka's captain insisted his team had not lost because they had been negative. He would be hard pressed to find many who agree with him
Azhar Ali's match-winning 103 off 137 balls in Sharjah went a long way to proving that he had the ability to bat according to the situation and make the No.3 spot his own
Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq hailed his team after they pulled off their second-highest successful run chase to level the series against Sri Lanka
If any thought lingered that Sri Lanka's designs for the match in Sharjah were aggressive, their batting in the third innings provided unequivocal proof they want nothing more than 1-0 from the series
Sri Lanka's mistakes on the fourth day in Pallekele were only minor but one complacent hour turned into two, allowing Pakistan a way back into the match
While conservatism has worked for Sri Lanka in this series, their dour defensive play on day four in Sharjah neither decisively put defeat beyond them nor, it would appear, did much to revive the flagging interest in Test cricket
Pakistan coach Dav Whatmore has not given up on getting a result despite his side trailing Sri Lanka by 220 runs with five wickets still to take
Ahmed Shehzad scored his maiden Test hundred but Pakistan's progress on the third day was not swift enough to weaken Sri Lanka's grip on their 1-0 lead in the series
Pakistan might have been conservative with their batting approach on the third day in Sharjah, but their opener Ahmed Shehzad said he was "surprised" by the negative approach adopted by the Sri Lanka bowlers
The footmarks developing on the Sharjah pitch are crucial to Sri lanka's hopes of winning the series 2-0, Sri Lanka batsman Kumar Sangakkara said
Sri Lanka's prospects of winning their first away series since 1999-00 (excluding those in Bangladesh and Zimbabwe) improved significantly after Angelo Mathews and Dilruwan Perera batted vast periods of time on the second day
For the second successive day, Pakistan's bowlers struggled on a flat pitch. The team, however, could take heart from the success of their pacers, Mohammad Talha and Junaid Khan
Fourteen months on from fielding their oldest ever XI in a Test, Sri Lanka have regenerated at great speed and now brought to the fore, a talented crop of youngsters who are bound to leave the fans very excited for the future
The Sharjah surface - largely devoid of pace, lateral movement and turn - provided the setting for a game of patience on the first day of the deciding Test of the series
Pakistan's left-arm spinner, Abdur Rehman said his side would be looking to dismiss Sri Lanka in the first session on the second day after the visitors ended the first day of the Sharjah Test at 220 for 5
Just eight Tests old, Dimuth Karunaratne has the skills to become a fine international opener. With more consistency and a better understanding of his own game, he may well be the answer to Sri Lanka's top order as they continue replacing the old guard
Misbah has been a terrific leader but it's still not enough to knock off Imran, Mushtaq and Kardar off their lofty perch
The Sharjah chase took you back to the days of playing street cricket and wanting to complete a game before the sun set
For all the talents that Pakistan's cricketers possess, the team has never been good at chasing. Which is why Sharjah came as a surprise
The Sharjah chase was perhaps Pakistan's best ever, owing much to the collective spirit that the oft-vilified captain has nurtured
Dav Whatmore has said that the Pakistan team had given him the "perfect" send-off when they wrapped up his tenure with a five-wicket victory over Sri Lanka to square the Test series in UAE
When you give away more singles than dot balls, it clearly means you're using an umbrella made of bread
Pakistan are down 0-1 against Sri Lanka and the captain Misbah-ul-Haq hopes to square the series before going into a nine-month Test drought.
Unlike the first two Tests, the Sharjah match will be a trial by spin, Angelo Mathews, the Sri Lanka captain, said after inspecting the pitch on the eve of the game
| Pakistan INNINGS | R | B | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Khurram Manzoor | caught wk | 52 | 125 |
| Ahmed Shehzad | bowled | 147 | 275 |
| Azhar Ali | caught | 8 | 27 |
| Younis Khan | caught wk | 17 | 31 |
| Misbah-ul-Haq | caught | 63 | 113 |
| Asad Shafiq | lbw | 18 | 45 |
| Sarfaraz Ahmed | caught wk | 5 | 7 |
| Abdur Rehman | caught wk | 2 | 5 |
| Mohammad Talha | lbw | 2 | 9 |
| Saeed Ajmal | not out | 0 | 8 |
| Junaid Khan | caught | 16 | 11 |
| EXTRAS | (b 3, lb 6, w 1, nb 1) | ||
| TOTAL | 341 (all out; 109.1 ovs) | ||
