Sangakkara's double ton steers S. Lanka to safety

Kumar Sangakkara hit his eighth double hundred to all but ensure Sri Lanka avoid defeat in the first Test against Pakistan at Abu Dhabi stadium here on Saturday. The 33-year-old left-hander made 211 and together with Prasanna Jayawardene, who was unbeaten on 110 -- his fourth Test hundred -- steered Sri Lanka to 434-6 at tea on the fifth and final day, an overall lead of 120 after overturning a 314-run deficit. Sangakkara finally fell in the last over before tea, when he was trapped leg-before by the part-time leg-spinner Azhar Ali for his first wicket in Test cricket but not before he had frustrated Pakistan for almost two sessions. Sangakkara batted for 651 minutes, faced 431 deliveries and hit 18 boundaries during an epic knock. Sangakkara flicked paceman Aizaz Cheema to fine-leg for his 18th boundary to reach his double hundred after 604-minutes of defiant batting. Together with Prasanna, Sangakkara added 201 for the unbroken sixth wicket stand, erasing the previous best of 169 in Pakistan-Sri Lanka Tests for this wicket between Kamran Akmal and Yasir Arafat at Karachi two years ago. Pakistan captain Misbah-ul Haq employed all possible means but the Sangakkara-Prasanna pair did not serve up any chances. Prasanna reached his hundred with his 11th boundary, an uppish drive off spinner Saeed Ajmal. He has so far hit 12 boundaries during his supplementary knock. Resuming at 298-5 Sri Lanka survived the morning session unscathed as the overnight pair of Sangakkara and Prasanna kept Pakistan's three-pronged pace attack at bay to take their team to 364-5 at lunch. Prasanna, dropped by substitute Wahab Riaz off Gul on 11 -- one of six catches Pakistani fielders dropped on Friday -- hit Aizaz Cheema and off-spinner Saeed Ajmal for consecutive boundaries to help Sri Lanka erase the deficit. Sangakkara, whose wicket is crucial for both Pakistan and Sri Lanka then came into his own hitting Ajmal for an exquisite cover drive to the ropes. Pakistan used all five bowlers but were left to rue the missed chances of Friday which could spoil their chances of taking the lead in the three-Test series. The second Test starts in Dubai on October 26, while the third will be played in Sharjah from November 3.