Pakistan eye face-saving win in final Test

July 23, 2009 (AFP) - Pakistan remained on course to win the third and final cricket Test against Sri Lanka after denting the home team's chase of a world record target on Thursday.







Sri Lanka, set an improbable 492 to sweep the series 3-0 after they had won the first two Tests, were 183-3 in their second knock at stumps on the fourth day at the Sinhalese sports club.

When play begins on the fifth day for the first time in the series -- the first Test ended in four days and the second in three -- Pakistan will need seven wickets and Sri Lanka a further 309 runs in 90 overs.

No team has scored 492 runs in the fourth innings to win a Test match.

The highest successful chase so far is 418-7 by the West Indies against Australia in Antigua in 2003.

Sri Lanka were given a minimum of 150 overs to get the runs after Pakistan declared their second innings at 425-9 soon after lunch with former captain Shoaib Malik making 134.

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Sri Lankan openers Malinda Warnapura and Tharanga Paranavitana put on 83 for the first wicket in 25 overs, their best partnership of the series, to raise visions of a history-defying feat.

But the fall of three wickets in the final session