Tag: Pakistan vs Sri Lanka second Test

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

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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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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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

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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