25 July,2009 08:42 AM IST | | AFP
Kumar Sangakkara hit an unbeaten century to steer Sri Lanka to a draw in the final Test against Pakistan yesterday and win his first series as captain.
The left-hander made 130 not out as Sri Lanka, faced with a world record target of 492, defied the Pakistani bowlers to finish with 391-4 on the fifth day at the Sinhalese sports club. Sri Lanka clinched the series 2-0, their first at home against Pakistan after five unsuccessful attempts.
Sangakkara hung on for nearly seven hours to frustrate Pakistan's bid to record a face-saving win. "To win without Murali (Muttiah Muralitharan) was really very special," he said. "We missed Murali really badly, but it showed the character of the young guys who came in. They were really hungry for success," said Sangakkara.
Pakistan captain Younis Khan said: "We did not bat well in the first two Tests, but there was a definite improvement in this match. We will get better if we play more Test cricket. I really thought Sri Lanka would go for a win after tea today."
