22 February,2009 03:03 PM IST | | Agencies
Mahela Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera punished Pakistan's bowling during Sri Lanka's highest fourth-wicket stand on the second day of the opening Test here on Sunday.
The overnight pair batted through the first session as Sri Lanka amassed 505-3 by lunch in their first innings with Jayawardene unbeaten at the break on 185 and Samaraweera on a career-best 177 not out.
Their record stand is now 328, beating Sri Lanka's previous best fourth-wicket stand in all Test cricket of 240, put by Asanka Gurusinha and Arjuna Ranatunga, also against Pakistan in Colombo in 1986.
Jayawardene, 136 overnight, has so far hit 24 boundaries during his 338-ball innings.
Samaraweera, 130 overnight, has hit 25 boundaries, improving on his previous highest Test score of 142, made against England at Colombo in 2003. The pair has now stayed at the pitch for five hours and 41 minutes.
Resuming at 406-3, Sri Lanka added only 31 in the first hour as Pakistan's bowling and field placing was tighter than on Saturday.
The home team conceded just one boundary in the first hour in contrast to 59 in the first day's play.
But Pakistan's three-pronged pace attack, supplemented by leg-spinner Danish Kaneria, once again failed to get any support from the pitch, which still poses no problems for batting.
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