Shan Masood and Abid Ali put Pakistan in charge on a day to remember in Karachi

S.M. HUSSAIN: A day that began with the game in the balance ended with the hosts in charge after an opening stand that threatened to break a host of records

Thirteen wickets fell on the first day, seven on the second, and you still couldn’t figure out which way this game was heading. Nothing beats watching an exciting Test match.

But after all, cricket is a funny game. On day three, a different story unfolded. A story in which two characters - Shan Masood and Abid Ali - blossomed.

From the beginning of the day, Pakistan slowly but surely started to take this match in their grip. The day's two stars came out with positive intent. Ali didn’t take too long to reach his flawless fifty, while Masood followed suit and completed his half-century in the 15th over of the day.

The hundred came up in style when Masood came down the wicket to Dilruwan Perera and hammered a six to the long-on fence. He looked good when he used his feet against the spinners, especially off-spinner Perera. Masood preferred the on-side to score most of his runs and Ali was strong off the back-foot.

For the first time in this match, not a single wicket fell in a session as Pakistan openers merrily went their way and made 154 for no loss at lunch. 

When Abid Ali was on 99 the crowd started chanting “Abid Abid” as he swept Lasith Embuldeniya to reach his second hundred in just his second Test match. He was elated as he reached the milestone – his arms up in the air, looking up to the sky, thanking the Almighty.

In the recent Australian tour, Masood in tougher conditions looked promising, but couldn’t convert good starts into big scores. Today he remained focused in reaching his second Test hundred - his first in front of the home crowd.

Masood's first hundred also came against Sri Lanka in Pallekele. When asked which one was better, he said: “This one is more special because it is made in Karachi, in front of my home ground.”

The last time both Pakistan oepners made hundreds in an innings was against Bangladesh at Multan in 2001 when Taufiq Umar and Saeed Anwar achieved the same feat.

Pakistan lost their first wicket on 278 – twenty runs short of the nation's highest-ever opening partnership record, made by Aamir Sohail and Ijaz Ahmed at the same venue in 1997 against West Indies.

Later Masood added: “Asad Shafiq told us about the record in the dressing room, we wanted to make 300, but unfortunately we couldn’t.”

^{Shan Masood went to his second Test century}

Masood is one of the better pullers of a cricket ball in Pakistan team, but sometimes in cricket, your strong point can bring a downfall. On the stroke of tea, he pulled a short ball from Lahiru Kumara to Oshanda Fernando, who took an easy catch at square-leg to see the back of Masood, who had made his highest Test score.

He was replaced by Azhar Ali, to whom the post-Misbah and Younis era has not been kind. He has made only one hundred, perhaps struggling to fill the boots of his celebrated predecessors. But today after thirteen innings, he finally passed fifty.

Abid Ali’s marathon innings (174) came to an end when a short ball from Lahiru Kumara kept low and hit his pad; he had hit 21 fours and a single six in his 281-ball knock.

Abid Ali is known as ‘legend’ in the home dressing room and, speaking at the end of a day's play that will live long in the memory, he added: “My team members call me by this name and I thank them. I take it positively and it makes me more focused to perform.”

Sri Lanka toiled hard throughout the day as Pakistan made 338 runs for the loss of only two wickets.

At the close of play Azhar Ali (57*) and Babar Azam (22*) were at the crease and Pakistan's lead had reached 315 runs.

And with that, for the first time in this Test match, we knew which team was sat in the driver’s seat.

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