The one-drop batsman was unbeaten on 74 however noticed Babar Azam fell for 28 within the final over of the day as Pakistan completed on 266-Four on a Sheikh Zayed Stadium pitch which has began to help spinners.
Pakistan nonetheless trails the Sri Lankan first innings whole of 419 by 153 runs with six wickets intact.
Pakistan had pinned their hopes on Ali within the post-Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq period who retired in Could this 12 months after shouldering workforce’s batting for practically seven years.
A cautious Ali made certain Pakistan doesn’t concede an enormous lead within the first innings, having hit just one boundary in his 26th Check half-century.
In all Ali has thus far hit three boundaries throughout his 297 minutes of batting. He added 79 for the third wicket with Asad Shafiq who made 39 to take the combat to Sri Lankan three-pronged spin assault.
Veteran left-arm spinner Herath was probably the most profitable bowler with 2-47.
When on 32, Ali additionally accomplished 5,000 Check runs in his 61st Check. He turned the eighth Pakistan batsmen behind Younis Khan (10,099), Javed Miandad (8832) Inzamam-ul-Haq (8829), Mohammad Yousuf (7530), Salim Malik (5768), Misbah (5222) and Zaheer Abbas (5062) to achieve the milestone.
But it surely was the opening pair of Shan Masood and Sami Aslam who set the platform for an enormous whole by placing collectively a stable 114-run opening stand after they resumed at 64 with out loss.
Sri Lanka, nevertheless, hit again by eradicating each openers within the area of two runs.
Aslam, recalled after being dropped from the West Indies tour on disciplinary grounds earlier this 12 months, was trapped leg-before by off-break bowler Dilruwan Perera. He hit 4 boundaries in his seventh Check half-century.
Two runs later Masood tried a sweep shot off the wily Herath however missed the ball and was bowled spherical his legs.
Pakistan had luck on their aspect with the critiques as each Ali and Shafiq survived assured appeals. Ali properly reviewed a leg-before resolution off Perera, however the ball hit his bat earlier than the pad.
Shafiq was given not out on a evaluation when he was stumped off Herath on one.
It was Herath who lastly dislodged Shafiq when a pointy turner caught an edge off Shafiq’s bat, deflected from wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella’s thigh to slide the place Lahiru Thirimanne took the catch.
