Shan Masood and Abdullah Shafique scored blistering half-centuries for Pakistan and cut the deficit by 21 runs at the closure of the opening day of the ongoing second Test against Sri Lanka.
At the stumps on Day 1, Pakistan were well in control at 145/2 in response to Sri Lanka’s first-innings 166 with captain Babar Azam and Abdullah Shafique firm at the crease.
The visitors, however, had a contrasting start to their innings as they lost Imam-ul-Haq (6) early in the third over with just 13 runs on the board.
But Shan Masood and Abdullah Shafique launched an astounding counterattack and pushed Sri Lanka on the backfoot with a brisk 108-run partnership.
The pair batted a quick rate amid their second-wicket partnership and was looking determined to put Pakistan into the lead by the end of the opening day.
However, Asitha Fernando got a much-needed breakthrough for Sri Lanka in the form of Shan Masood, who scored 51off 47 deliveries, laced with four boundaries and a six.
Masood’s dismissal halted the flow of runs but the pair of Babar Azam and Abdullah Shafique batted sensibly and stitched an unbeaten 24-run partnership.
The pair will now resume Pakistan’s first innings on the second day in a bid to secure a massive lead to further strengthen their side’s position in the second Test.
Abdullah Shafique scored an unbeaten 74 from 99 balls, hitting seven boundaries and two sixes while Babar Azam scored eight not out.
Pakistan dominated another session to take command of the ongoing second Test against Sri Lanka.
The visitors took six wickets after Lunch with Abrar Ahmed leading the charge, taking four wickets in the second session including the prized scalp of Dhananjaya de Silva.
Chandimal and de Silva resumed Sri Lanka’s first innings at 79/4 after the break and added 42 more runs to their crucial stand before Naseem dismissed the former to bring Pakistan back on top.
Chandimal fell after a 60-ball 34, laced with four boundaries.
His dismissal triggered a match-defining collapse in Sri Lanka’s batting lineup which soon slipped to 136/8 with their mainstay de Silva also falling after a brilliant half-century.
He top-scored for Sri Lanka with 68-ball 57 which featured nine boundaries and a six.
All-rounder Ramesh Mendis added vital runs for Sri Lanka amid his ninth-wicket partnership with Asitha Fernando (8) before Abrar Ahmed struck successive strikes marked the end of Sri Lanka’s first innings.
Mendis scored 27 from 44 deliveries with the help of three boundaries.
Abrar Ahmed led the bowling charge for Pakistan with 4/69 followed by Naseem Shah’s 3/41 while Shaheen Shah Afridi had one to his name.
At the stroke of Lunch, Sri Lanka were 79/4 with Dhananjaya de Silva (33) and Dinesh Chandimal (9) unbeaten at the crease.
Sri Lanka, opting to bat first in the second Test of the ongoing two-match series, led by Pakistan 1-0, got off to a shaky start to their innings.
The hosts coped with an unfortunate blow when opener Nishan Madushka (4) got run out, courtesy of a sharp fielding effort by Shan Masood, who charged in from short extra cover and nailed a one-handed direct hit onto the stumps.
Shaheen Shah Afridi then pushed Sri Lanka further on the backfoot when he got Kusal Mendis (6) caught at point.
Naseem Shah then added further to the misery of the home side as he struck twice in quick succession to leave them reeling at 36/4.
The right-arm pacer implemented a perfect trap to get rid of Angelo Matthews as he bowled continuously around the outside-off channel before finally inducing an edge of Matthews’s bat, who could score a mere nine.
Naseem then bamboozled Karunaratne with a sensational delivery. The right-arm pacer, after bowling a couple of outswingers, deceived the Sri Lankan captain with a lovely in-dipper and hit the timber.
Karunaratne played a cautious 17-run knock which featured three boundaries.
Following the shaky start, Sri Lanka’s first-match mainstay with the bat, Dhananjaya de Silva, once again clung on for the hosts and launched a recovery with Dinesh Chandimal.
The pair by the end of the first session, had added 43 runs to the total with de Silva leading the charge.
In an enthralling first session, dominated by Pakistan, Naseem Shah picked up two wickets while Shaheen struck once.
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