Pakistan vs Sri Lanka second Test Archives

Sri Lanka reclaim third spot as Pakistan slip to fifth in WTC standings

DUBAI: Sri Lanka have replaced Pakistan to regain the third spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) standings following their remarkable 246-run victory over the national team in the second Test at Galle on Thursday.

According to International Cricket Council’s (ICC) latest released WTC standings, Sri Lanka improved its position in the table to bolster its chances of appearing in the next year’s World Test Championship final between the top two teams in the standings.

Meanwhile, Pakistan slipped two places to fifth position from third after the crushing defeat in the second Test.

Following their incredible four-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the first Test, Pakistan had earlier clinched the third spot.

The recent reshuffle in the WTC standings also witnessed West Indies dropping one spot to the sixth while India maintained its fourth position.

Whereas, South Africa continue to top the standings followed by Australia sitting in the second spot.

READ: Sri Lanka trounce Pakistan by 246 runs in second Test to level series 1-1

Sri Lanka trounce Pakistan by 246 runs in second Test to level series 1-1

GALLE: Sri Lanka redeemed in the second Test to level the series 1-1 as they defeated Pakistan by 246 runs on the final day, here on Thursday.

Spinner Prabath Jayasuriya stormed through the batting line as he bagged his fourth five-wicket haul in the six innings he played so far, aiding his side to knock down Pakistan for 261.

Set to chase a mammoth 508-run target, Pakistan displayed a dismal batting show in the second innings after they were bowled out for 231 in the first to put Sri Lanka ahead in the game.

While the team lost nine wickets on the final day to end the game in the second session, captain Babar Azam shone with his defiant knock of 81 off 146 before Jayasuriya dismissed him in a leg-before wicket.

Spinner Ramesh Mendis had the first breakthrough for Sri Lanka as he got rid of opener Imam-ul-Haq – one short of his half-century – early in the day.

Pakistan started the final day’s play with an overnight score of 89/1 and added only eight runs before Imam’s departure.

Wicket-keeper Batter Mohammad Rizwan then combined excellently with the skipper for a third-wicket partnership of 79 runs and taking the scoreboard from 97 to 176.

However, Jayasuriya dismantled the strong-looking partnership when he bowled out Rizwan after he played 37 run-knock off 69 balls, laced with six boundaries.

Following Rizwan’s dismissal, Pakistan lost two more wickets in quick succession as left-handed batter Fawad Alam fell cheaply on one after a disappointing run-out. Whereas, Agha Salman offered his wicket to Jayasuriya just before Lunch on a mere 4 runs.

However, Pakistan’s tailenders seemed completely helpless in front of Sri Lanka’s fierce spin attack as the team lost the last five wickets for a meagre addition of 41 runs.

Following Babar’s dismissal on a 205-run total after Lunch, Mohammad Nawaz fell in the next over for 12 by Mendis. Yasir Shah was on 27 off 24 before handing his wicket to Jayasuriya to complete his five-wicket haul.

Hasan Ali was bowled out on 11 off 10 while he attempted to sweep Mendis, whereas, Naseem Shah offered his wicket to the same bowler to wrap up Pakistan’s innings.

For Sri Lanka, besides Jayasuriya’s sublime run with the bowl, Mendis took four wickets to lead his team to a clinical win in the second Test

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Pakistan strike five wickets while Sri Lanka raise 323-run lead on Day 3

GALLE: Pakistan struck with five crucial wickets to derail Sri Lanka’s ascension in the second Test while the home team maintained a commanding lead of 323 runs over the visitors in the second innings on the third day, here on Tuesday.

Pakistan bowlers rebounded in the second and the final sessions of the day to reduce the hosts to 176/5 before umpires called it a day due to bad light.

Skipper Dimuth Karunaratne and all-rounder Dhanjaya De Silva anchored the Sri Lankan innings in the last session after they were struggling at 117/5 following Dinesh Chandimal’s departure.

The pair cemented their position on the crease with a valiant sixth-wicket partnership of 59 runs and remained firm on the respective scores of 27 and 30, till the end of the day’s play.

Sri Lanka, however, underwent a dismal start to their second inning as they lost both of their openers on a mere 47-run total.

Naseem Shah had the first breakthrough for Pakistan as he dismissed wicket-keeper batter Niroshan Dickwella on 15 while Osahada Fernando fell prey to Yasir Shah after he scored 19 runs.

Kusal Mendis followed the suit and went back to the pavilion after his 30-ball knock of 15 runs as left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz removed him in a leg-before wicket.

All-rounder Agha Salman, however, got rid of strong-looking Angelo Mathew on 35 after he raised a 41-run fifth-wicket partnership along with Dinesh Chadimal.

Naseem grabbed his second wicket when he dismissed in-form Chadimal in a caught-behind wicket to end his 21-run knock.

On the hand, Yasir, Salman and Nawaz struck out a batter each.

Earlier, in the first session, spinner Ramesh Mendis completed a five-wicket haul while Prabath Jayasuriya bagged three as Sri Lanka bowled out Pakistan for 231 in the first innings to bolster their position in the second Test.

Pakistan tail enders Yasir Shah and Hasan Ali put up a brief resistance to move the total to 223 from the overnight score of 191 before Sri Lankan spinners rebounded and picked three back-to-back wickets for just 8 more runs.

Yasir and Hasan managed an eighth-wicket partnership of 32 runs before Jayasuriya knocked down the latter on 21 runs to force the tail-enders to collapse.

Ramesh then sent Nauman Ali and Yasir back to the pavilion to pack up Pakistan’s innings with his third five-wicket haul in Test cricket.

The leg-spinner played a defiant knock of 97 balls for 26 runs before Ramesh removed him in a leg-before wicket.

It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan have a 1-0 lead in the series as they defeated the home side by four wickets in the first Test.

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Salman falls before Stumps as Sri Lanka take control of second Test

GALLE: Pakistan right-handed batter Salman Ali Agha, who scored a fighting half-century for the touring side, fell moments before the stumps as Sri Lanka took command of the ongoing Test with 187 runs lead.

The third and final session of the second day remained evenly poised until the last ball of the day but Salman’s dismissal on the last delivery shifted the momentum into the hosts’ favour.

Pakistan, who seemed to have steadied by the valiant seventh-wicket partnership between Salman and Yasir Shah are once again struggling at 191/7 with a 187-run deficit.

Earlier in the session, the touring side lost their experienced left-handed batter, Fawad Alam, for 24, who fell briefly after Tea as Ramesh Mendis trapped him in his legs.

All-rounder Mohammad Nawaz then put on a brief fight with his 37-ball 12 but he too could not hold on for long as Mendis removed him via caught behind.

Following his dismissal, Salman joined hands with leg-spinner Yasir and added a crucial 46-run partnership for the seventh wicket. Salman kept the scoreboard ticking and soon amassed his maiden half-century while Yasir displayed grit with his defence.

The partnership between the two batters was fostering well before Prabath Jayasuriya struck on the last delivery of the day’s play and gave an upper hand to the home side.

Salman scored 62 off 126 balls, laced with six boundaries and a six, while Yasir remained unbeaten with 13 off 61.

Following the late dismissal, Pakistan will now resume their proceedings at 191/7 on the third day of the second Test with a huge deficit of 187 runs.

For Sri Lanka, Mendis led the way with three wickets, while Jayasuriya made two scalps. Asitha Fernando and Dhananjaya de Silva, on the other hand, struck out a batter each.

The hosts enjoyed a dominating second session after finishing the first session on a high. The Sri Lankan bowlers displayed combined bowling effort and made three scalps for their side to give them an upper hand over the visitors.

Resuming their proceedings at 15/1 after Abdullah’s early dismissal, the dynamic duo of Pakistan, Babar and Imam could only add 20 runs to the total before Prabath Jayasuriya castled the right-handed batter for a mere 16.

Following Babar’s dismissal, Imam looked to carry the innings with a brief partnership with Mohammad Rizwan, which saw the two batters adding just 30 runs as the former perished this time around after top-scoring with 32 off 54 balls, laced with four boundaries.

Rizwan’s stay at the crease also remained brief after Imam’s departure, as he could only score 24 off 35 deliveries.

With the touring side struggling at 88/4, Fawad and Salman displayed resilience and carried their bat till the conclusion of the second session.

In the first session, Sri Lanka, after resuming their first innings from an overnight score of 315/6, managed to add crucial 63 runs to the total and pushed the touring side on the back foot.

Wicket-keeper batter Niroshan Dickwella, who was eyeing his half-century at the stumps on the opening day, soon amassed the milestone. The right-handed batter scored 51 off 54 balls, laced with six boundaries and a six.

Besides Dickwella, Ramesh also chipped in with his important knock for the team as he scored an important 35 off 52 balls including five boundaries and bolstered his side to a massive total of 378 while the tailenders remained clueless against the Pakistan bowling attack.

For Pakistan, Naseem Shah and Yasir Shah bagged three wickets each, while Mohammad Nawaz claimed two. Nauman Ali, on the other hand, made one scalp.

In response to Sri Lanka’s 378, Pakistan were off to the worst possible start as the touring side lost their last match hero Abdullah for a two-ball duck in the first two balls of their inning.

Following Abdullah’s early departure, Pakistan captain Babar Azam and left-handed opener Imam-ul-Haq anchored the inning and made sure that the side do not lose further wickets as they finished at 15/1 at Lunch.

Chandimal, batters bolster Sri Lanka to raise 315/6 against Pakistan

GALLE: Dinesh Chandimal starred with an astounding 80-run knock as Sri Lankan batters charged Pakistan to raise 315 runs for the loss of six wickets at stumps on the opening day of the second Test, here on Sunday.

Wicket-keeper batter Niroshan Dickwella played a late cameo scoring an unbeaten 42 off 43 balls, while opener Oshada Fernando set the tone for Sri Lanka’s batting attack with a brilliant half-century at the top.

Veteran all-rounder Angelo Mathews, however, was dropped on 36 by Pakistan captain Babar Azam in the covers but remained unable to capitalise on the opportunity as left-arm spinner Nauman Ali forced his way to the pavilion on 42 runs.

Opting to bat first after winning the toss, Fernando and the skipper Dimuth Kurnaratne built a solid opening partnership of 92 runs before Mohammad Nawaz had the initial breakthrough for Pakistan.

The left-arm spinner dismissed Fernando in the 21st over after the right-handed batter completed his half-century.

Sri Lanka lost their second wicket just before Lunch as fielder Agha Salman run out Kusal Mendis on the non-striker end, dismissing him early for a mere 3 runs.

Skipper Kuranatane, however, fell prey to leg-spinner Yasir Shah on 40 as he mistimed a reverse sweep shot and was caught by the point fielder.

Sri Lanka’s middle order dominated Pakistan in the last two sessions as Chandimal and Mathews thumped a solid 85-run partnership before the latter’s departure on a 195-run total.

Chandimal, on the other hand, remained firm and built another 55-run partnership with Dhanajaya De Silva before he offered his wicket to Nawaz while trying to charge him. His magnificent knock included nine fours and two sixes.

De Silva made 33 runs before he was bowled out by pacer Naseem Shah.

For Pakistan, Nawaz grabbed two wickets while Yasir, Nauman and Naseem each made a scalp.

Sri Lanka will resume their first inning on the second day with the overnight pair of Dickwella and night watchman Dunith Wellalage on the crease.

It is worth mentioning here that Pakistan beat Sri Lanka in the first Test by four wickets after a historic run-chase to go one up in the series.

READ: Sri Lanka win toss, elect to bat first in second Test against Pakistan

Sri Lanka win toss, elect to bat first against Pakistan in second Test

GALLE: Sri Lanka have won the toss and elected to bat first in the final Test of the two-match series against Sri Lanka, here at Galle International Stadium.

Pakistan made two changes in the playing lineup as middle-order batter Fawad Alam replaced Azhar Ali while left-arm spinner Nauman Ali has been included in place of injured Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Meanwhile, debutant Dunith Wellalge and seamer Asitha Fernando have replaced Maheesh Theekshana and Kasun Rajitha in Sri Lanka’s playing Xl for the second Test.

It is worth mentioning here that Pakistan beat Sri Lanka in the first Test by four wickets after a historic run-chase to go one up in the series.

PLAYING XIs

Sri Lanka: Dimuth Karunaratne (c), Oshada Fernando, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dinesh Chandimal, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Ramesh Mendis, Asitha Fernando, Prabath Jayasuriya, Dunith Wellalage

Pakistan: Babar Azam (c), Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Fawad Alam, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Agha Salman Mohammad Nawaz, Yasir Shah, Hasan Ali, Nauman Ali, Naseem Shah

Theekshana ruled out, Nissanka joins Sri Lanka squad before second Test

GALLE: Right-arm spinner Maheesh Theekshana has been ruled out of the second Test after injuring his bowling hand in the first match against Pakistan, while Pathum Nissanka has rejoined the Sri Lankan squad upon completion of his recovery after testing Covid positive.

According to Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), uncapped right-arm offspinner Lakshitha Manasinghe received his maiden Test call to replace Theekshana in the playing Xl on a spin-dominated Galle wicket.

Theekshana featured in two Tests for Sri Lanka and grabbed two wickets in the last match before suffering an injury in one of his fingers on the right hand during the first Test against Pakistan.

Meanwhile, Manasinghe picked up 73 wickets in his 17 first-class appearances and starred with the bowl as he grabbed 13 wickets during the unofficial match between Sri Lanka A and Australia A.

On the other hand, top-order batter Nissanka’s inclusion in the playing Xl is doubtful as his replacement in the team Oshada Fernando impressed with scores of 35 and 64 in the first Test.

It is worth mentioning here that Pakistan clinched a remarkable four-wicket win after a historic run-chase in the first Test against Sri Lanka to lead the series 1-0 with the final Test scheduled from July 24 to 28 at the same venue.

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Pakistan-Sri Lanka second Test shifted to Galle: Reports

KARACHI: Following the ongoing political unrest in Sri Lanka, the second Test of the two-match series between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, has been shifted to Galle, reports suggested.

The second Test of the series, which was originally slated to be played in Colombo, has now been moved to Galle as conditions in the capital city deteriorated as a result of nationwide anti-government protests on account of the island’s economic crisis.

Details indicate that Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) granted Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC’s) request to stay in Galle and hold the second Test match there as well. The second Test is set to kick off on July 24.

It is pertinent to mention here that Sri Lanka played a two-match Test series against Australia prior to the ongoing series against Pakistan, which was also played at Galle.

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