Sri Lanka faced a record chase of 492 runs after Pakistan declared their second innings at 425-9 soon after lunch on the fourth day of the third and final Test today.
Sri Lanka faced a record chase of 492 runs after Pakistan declared their second innings at 425-9 soon after lunch on the fourth day of the third and final Test today.
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The highest successful fourth innings chase in history is by the West Indies, who scored 418-7 to beat Australia at St John's, Antigua in 2003.
The most runs scored in the fourth innings to win a Test at the Sinhalese Sports Club is 326-5 by Sri Lanka against Zimbabwe in 1998.
The hosts are looking to sweep the series 3-0 after winning the first two Tests
Shoaib Malik made 134 as Pakistan amassed 425-9 in their second innings, an overall lead of 491 runs with one wicket in hand.
Pakistan added 19 runs to their overnight score of 300-5 when Kamran Akmal was snapped up in the slips by Mahela Jayawardene off Nuwan Kulasekera in the day's fourth over.
Akmal hit 74 with eight boundaries and a six during a sixth-wicket stand of 133 with Malik.
Tailender Umar Gul showed there were no hidden demons in the pitch as he helped Malik add 52 for the seventh wicket, himself contributing 22 in the partnership.
Malik fell after a six-hour vigil at the crease when he holed out in the deep off spinner Rangana Hearth, but not before Pakistan had built a 437-run lead.
The right-hander hit 13 fours and two sixes to shore up Pakistan's innings after they had collapsed to 67-4 before lunch on the third day.
Gul helped himself to his highest Test score of 46 from 50 balls, which included three sixes off Herath, before he was caught by a diving Chaminda Vaas at deep square-leg attempting another big hit against the same bowler.
Herath returned with 5-144 from 44 overs, his second successive five-wicket haul in the series.
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