Seamless return for masterly Yousuf

Mohammad Yousuf's 24th Test hundred takes him to within one more of Inzamam-ul-Haq's national record

Mohammad Yousuf scored a reassuring century on his return to international cricket as Pakistan took a useful lead on day two of the first Test against Sri Lanka at Galle.

Yousuf’s knock of 114, his 24th Test hundred, injected life and momentum into Pakistan’s innings at the Galle International Stadium, which had wilted under a tough examination from Sri Lanka’s pace bowlers in the morning.

Yousuf effected the turnaround with a 139-run stand for the fifth wicket with Misbah-ul Haq (56), and put Pakistan ahead for the first time in the match with a 75-run stand for the sixth wicket with Shoaib Malik (36).

Nuwan Kulasekara hit back with the second new ball and finished the innings with four wickets as Pakistan were bowled out for 342, a lead of 50 runs over Sri Lanka’s first-innings.

Makeshift Sri Lanka opener Rangana Herath then safely negotiated the one over to stumps, but the home side have a tough task ahead tomorrow.

Yousuf had come to the crease in the morning session with Pakistan in trouble.

Sri Lanka’s bowlers had nicely exploited early-morning conditions and made inroads into the visitors’ line-up with a couple of quick wickets in the morning.

Overlooked for national duty in the last Test series because of his association with the unauthorised Indian Cricket League, Yousuf returned to action in style.

Together with Misbah, he neatly engineered Pakistan’s recovery with a fluent and positive approach.

Yousuf had begun his innings with a crisp drive which earned him only two, but he steadily encroached on a half-century and eventually surpassed the mark with successive blows of spinner Ajantha Mendis.

The middle-order batsman then survived a lucky reprieve on 57.

Yousuf had attempted to glance left-arm spinner Herath to fine leg, but only managed an inside edge which ballooned in the air and was gleefully gloved to stand-in keeper Tillakaratne Dilshan.

Umpire Daryl Harper turned down Sri Lanka’s appeal although television replays clearly showed he had made a mistake.

Yousuf made good his reprieve, moving to within one hundred of Inzamam-ul-Haq’s Pakistan national record with a square-driven boundary of Mendis.

Rain arrives at the old stadium overlooking the Indian Ocean

On his way, he steered Pakistan past Sri Lanka’s first-innings score, before he was run out by a direct throw from Dilshan in the last session of play.

Misbah had begun laboriously but he achieved the task of consolidating Pakistan’s position and frustrating the home team with his dogged stand with Yousuf.

He stroked nine boundaries during his stay at the crease, which ended just before the tea interval when he edged Herath to Mahela Jayawardene at first slip.

Malik then took up the chase, but Sri Lanka hit back with the second new ball, which Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara had immediately taken.

Malik had his off stump pegged back by Kulasekara, easily the best of Sri Lanka’s bowlers.

Kulasekara then had Umar Gul dismissed cheaply, while the run out of Kamran Akmal had hastened Pakistan’s end.

Sri Lanka’s bowlers had toiled in the morning and were rewarded with moderate success.

Kulasekara picked up his second wicket – he had Salman Butt bowled yesterday – when he dismissed nightwatchman Abdur Rauf for 31, while Angelo Mathews claimed the wicket of captain Younus Khan as Pakistan's reply faltered.

Rauf, who had edged Ajantha Mendis for a boundary from the first ball of the day, had staved off the bowlers for the better part of the first hour until he feathered a catch to Dilshan.

By then the rookie fast bowler had the job done, putting on 50 runs for the third wicket with his captain.

Younus, who had survived two run-out attempts in the brief session of play yesterday, looked far from composed as he scratched around for 25.

Mathews finally ended his resistance, drawing him forward and inducing an edge which Dilshan held neatly with a sharp dive to his right.