Samaraweera hits double ton

Thilan Samaraweera's gets to 200 to put Sri Lanka in control of the second Test

A magnificent double century from Thilan Samaraweera was tempered by a six-wicket haul from Umar Gul as Pakistan clawed their way back into the second Test against Sri Lanka in Lahore.

Samaraweera made 214 in the tourists’ total of 606, becoming only the sixth batsman in Test history and the second Sri Lankan to score double hundreds in successive Tests.

Samaraweera took his team to safety by putting on 207 runs in a fifth-wicket stand with Tillakaratne Dilshan, the latter scoring 145 on a wicket conducive to stroke-play.

But, once Samaraweera was dismissed, Pakistan made short work of the tail thanks largely to an impressive performance from Gul.

Pakistan's openers then made a bright start to the chase and the hosts had reached 110 when Salman Butt was run out just two balls before close.

Butt made 48, while Khurram Manzoor was not out on 59, the former's dismissal ending play for the day.

The day, however, was dominated by the visitors.

The Samaraweera-Dilshan partnership was worth just 13 overnight, but an inconsistent performance from Pakistan's bowlers helped the duo to build quickly.

Early wickets were key to Pakistan's chances, but instead runs were doled out in plenty.

The duo flayed the bowlers around in the morning session, which yielded 135 runs in 29.2 overs.

Runs continued to flow after lunch as Samaraweera cantered toward his second double century with some ease.

He reached the mark with a single to short cover off Shoaib Malik, emulating team-mate Kumar Sangakkara who scored consecutive double centuries against Bangladesh.

Dilshan reached his eighth Test century with an edged boundary off leg-spinner Danish Kaneria, the ball flying through the slip cordon even as the batsman celebrated.

Umar Gul cleans up Ajantha Mendis to claim his sixth wicket from an epic 37 overs for the seamer

The partnership was ended when Samaraweera was run out, a mix-up with Dilshan accounting for his wicket.

Sri Lanka's innings then unravelled, crashing from 507 for five to 606 all out as Gul tore into the tail.

He got Prasanna Jayawardene to feather an edge to Akmal, sending the Sri Lanka wicketkeeper-batsman back for 16, and should have had his fifth wicket immediately after but Misbah-ul-Haq contrived to drop the simplest of catches from Dilshan at first slip with the batsman on 126.

Dilshan's innings, however, ended when he was run out attempting a single, only to be caught well short of the crease at the non-striker's end when a direct throw from Malik rattled the stumps.

Gul then bowled Thilan Thushara for 10 with a slower delivery and added the scalp of Ajantha Mendis to his kitty to finish with a haul of 6-135 from 37 overs.

A handy 34-run stand between Muttiah Muralitharan and Dilhara Fernando helped Sri Lanka get past the 600 mark.

Debutant Mohammad Talha claimed his first wicket when he bowled Muralitharan for 22, but not before the tail-ender had smacked him for three consecutive boundaries in that over.

Butt and Manzoor then got Pakistan's pursuit off to an impressive start, both dealing primarily in boundaries at the start of their innings.

Muralitharan was hit for three boundaries in his first over, two of them off the bat of Manzoor, who reached his maiden Test half-century with a boundary off Mendis.

But that flourishing first-wicket stand ended when Butt was run out in the final over of the day.