Close Pakistan 248 for 5 (Inzamam 72*, Shoaib Malik 19*) and 234 trail Sri Lanka 528 (Sangakkara 230, Jayasuriya 88, Jayawardene 68, Sami 4-120) by 46 runs
scorecard

Pakistan couldn't have asked for a better day. It rained most of the time, and they didn't lose a single wicket in the 32 overs of play possible. The sixth-wicket partnership between Inzamam-ul-Haq and Shoaib Malik swelled to 67 runs and Sri Lanka were no longer certain of becoming the sole Asian Test Champions – with some bad weather tomorrow, Pakistan could well steal a draw and share the title.

There were three periods of cricket today, each longer than the previous. The first one lasted all of 4.5 overs. With Pakistan still needing 93 runs to avoid an innings defeat, Mahela Jayawardene, at slip, dropped a sitter from Shoaib Malik off Muttiah Muralitharan's bowling. As if by cue, the rains came down and it was only three hours later that play resumed.

Inzamam brought up his 31st Test fifty in the 8.2-over afternoon session that fetched Pakistan 14 runs. Another bout of rain followed, and the groundstaff, assisted by the Sri Lankan players and their coach, pulled off the covers at 4.50pm local time.

Sanath Jayasuriya, unsurprisingly, attacked with Murali and Chaminda Vaas, but Pakistan resisted well. Inzamam kept his head and Shoaib Malik, fresh from an attacking one-day century against West Indies at Sharjah recently, revealed his other side as he battled along to reach 19 by stumps – at a strike-rate of 15.20 runs per 100 balls. The deficit had been cut down to 46 by close of play – things could have looked gloomier for Pakistan.

But it had been all too frustrating for Sri Lanka who must have planned a lunch party today. Cricket can be a game of inglorious uncertainties.

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