Tag: Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Test series

COLOMBO: Abdullah Shafique’s maiden double century, followed by an unbeaten 132 by Salman Ali Agha kept Pakistan in complete control of the ongoing second Test against Sri Lanka.

At the stumps on Day 3, Pakistan were 563/5 and had a humongous 397-run lead over Sri Lanka with Agha and Mohammad Rizwan still on the crease.

Pakistan dominated another session of the ongoing Colombo Test as the visitors added 166 runs to their total at the cost of a wicket.

Salman Ali Agha and Abdullah Shafique resumed Pakistan’s first innings at 397/4 after the Tea break and stretched their fifth-wicket stand to 124 before Prabath Jayasuriya finally got rid of the latter soon after his double century.

Shafique top-scored for Pakistan with 210 from 306 deliveries, laced up with 19 boundaries and four sixes.

Coming in to bat for Pakistan as Sarfaraz Ahmed’s concussion substitute, Mohammad Rizwan batted sensibly amid his 95-run unbeaten partnership with Salman Ali Agha to solidify Pakistan’s grip.

At the stumps, Rizwan was unbeaten on 37 while Agha had scored 132 not out with the help of 15 boundaries and a six.

Pakistan were 397 and had gathered a massive 231-run lead for the loss of four wickets at Tea on the third day of the ongoing second Test.

At the conclusion of the second session, Abdullah Shafique was just 10 runs away from his maiden double century while Salman Ali Agha was unbeaten on 28.

Abdullah Shafique and Saud Shakeel resumed Pakistan’s batting charge at 273/3 and added a further 46 runs to their stand before Asitha Fernando got rid of Saud Shakeel.

The left-handed batter, who scripted all-time Test history, scored 57 off 110 deliveries, laced with six deliveries.

Following Saud’s dismissal, wicketkeeper batter Sarfaraz Ahmed put on a brief 25-run partnership with Abdullah before getting retired hurt.

He could score 14 from 22 deliveries before returning to the pavilion.

Walking out to bat after Sarfaraz’s unfortunate departure, Salman Ali Agha partnered strongly with Pakistan’s mainstay Abdullah Shafique and stitched an unbeaten 53-run partnership before the break.

Pakistan, resuming their first innings at an overnight score of 178/2, enjoyed a fruitful opening session of Day 3 despite their captain Babar Azam’s dismissal as the touring side acquired a dominating 107-run lead.

Pakistan’s pair, batting since the last session of the opening day, finally got broken in the early half of day three’s opening session when Prabath Jayasuriya, once again, dismissed Pakistan captain Babar.

The left-arm spinner trapped Babar Azam plumb in front to draw a much-needed success for Sri Lanka while the Pakistan captain fell just 11 short of his half-century.

He scored 39 off 75 deliveries, laced with four boundaries and a six.

Pakistan were 210/3 in response to Sri Lanka’s 166 when Pakistan’s first match hero Saud Shakeel walked out to bat.

The in-form batter wasted no time adapting to the conditions and soon put on an important partnership for the touring side.

Saud and Abdullah had added an unbeaten 63 runs amid their fourth-wicket partnership before Lunch.

At the stroke of Lunch, Abdullah Shafique was unbeaten on 137 while Saud was 32 not out.

Notably, Rain played spoilsport on the second day of the ongoing second Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Only 10 overs of action was possible on an important second day due to persistent downpour.

Pakistan were 178/2 and had a 12-run lead when the rain intervened.

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GALLE: Fighting half-centuries from Saud Shakeel and Salman Ali Agha recovered Pakistan to 221/5 against Sri Lanka before rain forced an early closure on Day 2 of the ongoing first Test.

The pair of Saud Shakeel and Salman Ali Agha stretched their budding partnership into a big one in the final session of Day 2 and pulled their side out of trouble.

Pakistan at 221/5 with both Saud and Agha firm at the crease, are now 91 runs behind.

Saud and Agha batted with great determination and scored gutsy half-centuries.

Saud scored 69 from 88 deliveries with the help of six boundaries while Agha was 61 not out by the time rain forced an early end to an eventful day.

At the stroke of Tea, the touring side, in dire need of a healthy partnership, were 132/5 with Saud Shakeel and Salman Ali Agha at the crease.

The touring side had a dismal start to their innings as they lost their in-form opener Imam-ul-Haq (1) with just three runs on the scoreboard.

After a brief 44-run partnership between Abdullah Shafique (19) and Shan Masood, Sri Lanka launched a spin attack with Prabath Jayasuriya and Ramesh Mendis bowling in pair.

Jayasuriya removed Shafique to end the budding partnership before Mendis soon hit back to remove Masood, who was scoring at a brisk rate.

The left-handed batter scored a quick 39 off 30 deliveries, hitting five boundaries and a six.

Pakistan then sustained a massive blow when Sri Lanka’s Prabath Jayasuriya removed skipper Babar Azam to better his superior record against the right-handed batter.

Babar Azam could score 13 off 16 deliveries with the help of two boundaries.

Coming out to bat at number six was Sarfaraz Ahmed when Pakistan were reeling at 73/4, fresh from the blow of their captain Babar Azam’s dismissal.

He put on a brief partnership with Saud Shakeel and added 28 runs to the total before Prabath Jayasuriya cut his knock short by trapping him in his legs.

The wicketkeeper batter could score 17 off 15 deliveries with the help of three boundaries.

With half of their batters back into the hut, Saud Shakeel paired up with Salman Ali Agha and added a vital 31 runs to the total before the closure of the second session.

Sri Lanka, resuming at an overnight score of 242/6 with Dhananjaya de Silva just six shy of his century, could only add 70 runs for their last four wickets.

The right-handed batter, who, alongside Angelo Mathews, recovered Sri Lanka from a dismal start, continued his rhythm and notched up his well-crafted 10th century.

In the opening session on Day 2, de Silva put on brief partnerships with Ramesh Mendis and Prabath Jayasuriya before Naseem Shah finally got rid of him.

The right-handed batter top-scored for Sri Lanka with 122 off 214 deliveries, smashing 12 boundaries and three sixes.

Following the dismissal of their mainstay, Sri Lanka got a vital push courtesy of an astounding 28-run cameo by their No. 11 Vishwa Fernando.

For Pakistan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Abrar Ahmed and Naseem picked up three wickets each while Salman Ali Agha made one scalp.

On the opening day of the ongoing Galle Test, half-centuries from Angelo Mathews and Dhananjaya de Silva took Sri Lanka to 242/6 at the stumps despite a ruthless opening session spell by Shaheen Shah Afridi.

After opting to bat first, the home side endured the wrath of Shaheen Shah Afridi, who returned to Test cricket after a year-long hiatus.

The left-arm pacer ran through the Sri Lankan top-order with three wickets in his first spell.

Shaheen’s first scalp of the match – Nishan Madushanka (4) – also propelled him to breach the 100 Test wickets mark.

Naseem Shah also joined Shaheen and added to the misery of the home side by removing Dinesh Chandimal for a mere one.

With Chandimal’s dismissal, Sri Lanka slipped to 54/4 but Mathews soon joined hands with Dhananjaya de Silva to launch an astounding recovery.

The pair added 131 runs for the fifth wicket and pulled their side out of trouble before mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed got a much-needed breakthrough in the form of Mathews.

The right-handed batter scored a cautious 64 off 109 deliveries, hitting nine boundaries.

Following Mathews’s dismissal, de Silva then stitched a 57-run partnership with Sadeera Samarawickrama.

The pair was looking in control to bat through the rain-hit opening day but Samarawickrama fell to Agha Salman on what turned out to be the final delivery.

He played an important 36-run knock which ended courtesy of a sensational catch by Imam-ul-Haq.

Samarawickrama’s dismissal in the closing minutes brought Pakistan back into the game but Sri Lanka’s mainstay de Silva remained firm at the crease.

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A potential clash between Pakistan’s Test series against Sri Lanka and the third edition of the Global T20 League Canada has raised doubts about the Pakistan players’ participation in the franchise league.

The third edition of the Global T20 will run from July 20 to August 6 after a four-year hiatus while the Test series between Pakistan and Sri Lanka is poised to commence on July 16.

A total of 14 Pakistan players were picked in the GT20 draft. While some of those drafted have retired – Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Malik – but there are some players – Mohammad Rizwan and Abdullah Shafique – who are a regular part of Pakistan’s Test team.

The rest of the ten players drafted, including Zaman Khan, Azam Khan and Saim Ayub, have played white-ball cricket recently for Pakistan but are yet to make it to the longest format.

Meanwhile, reports suggest that the drafted players will have to seek the No-Objection Certificate from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) regardless of their selection in the national team’s squad.

Furthermore, a PCB official told ESPN Cricinfo that the decision on NOCs would still be made with consideration for the player’s fitness and need for rest.

Moreover, the PCB is likely not to give the NOCs for the Global T20 to any player selected for the Test series against Sri Lanka.

Notably, Pakistan’s Test vice-captain Mohammad Rizwan, signed as an icon player Vancouver Knights, was dropped from Pakistan’s most recent Test series against New Zealand in favour of Sarfaraz Ahmed.

The former Pakistan captain grabbed the opportunity with both hands as after scoring three consecutive half-centuries, Sarfaraz Ahmed scored a fighting fourth-inning century that prevented Pakistan from a series defeat.

At the back of his sensational return, Sarfaraz Ahmed is likely to retain his place which however does not guarantee that Rizwan will miss his place from the squad entirely.

Complete list of Pakistani players in GT20 Canada 

Vancouver Knights: Muhammad Rizwan (Icon)
Mississauga Panthers: Shoaib Malik (Icon), Azam Khan, Shahnawaz Dahani
Surrey Jaguars: Iftikhar Ahmed (Marquee), Muhammad Haris
Toronto Nationals: Shahid Afridi (Marquee), Zaman Khan, Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafiq
Brampton: Hussain Talat, Usama Mir
Montreal: Abbas Afridi

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LAHORE: Pakistan Test team on Friday landed in the country via Dubai after the conclusion of the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka.

According to the details, Pakistan all-format captain Babar Azam, alongside Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Faheem Ashraf, Salman Ali Agha, Azhar Ali, and Shan Masood reached Allama Iqbal International Airport here.

Pakistan speedster Hairs Rauf, leg-spinner Yasir Shah, and all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz, on the other hand, landed at Islamabad International Airport.

Whereas, former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed, Nauman Ali, Fawad Alam, and Saud Shakeel reached Jinnah Terminal, Karachi on Friday morning.

Pakistan right-arm pacer, Hasan Ali, however, will be staying in Dubai, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed.

It is pertinent to mention here that Sri Lanka thrashed Pakistan by 246 runs in the second Test to level the two-match Test series 1-1. Following a humiliating defeat in the last test of the series, the Green Shirts have slipped to fifth in the World Test Championship (WTC) points table.

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GALLE: Pakistan captain Babar Azam and left-handed opener Imam-ul-Haq appeared firm after an early dismissal of last match hero Abdullah Shafique as they took the visitors to 89/1 while chasing a mammoth 508 before the bad light forced early stumps on the fourth day.

Only six overs could be bowled in the final session of the fourth day as the bad light halted the action while Babar and Imam were carrying the run chase for Pakistan. The umpires, after multiple inspections, then called it a day as they removed the bails; indicating the early stumps.

Pakistan, who have a mountain to climb as they need to pull off the highest-ever run chase in Tests to seal the second Test, finished at 89/1; needing further 419 runs.

Left-handed opener Imam remained the top-scorer for the visitors with an unbeaten 46, while skipper Babar scored 26 not-out on 38 deliveries.

Set to chase a mammoth 508, the visitors had a rather unwanted start to their campaign as they lost their opener and last match hero Abdullah at a combined score of 42.

Pakistan openers appeared steady and were cruising at a decent pace before Sri Lanka top spinner Prabath Jayasuriya claimed his first wicket as he removed Abdullah for 16, who faced 51 deliveries and smashed three boundaries.

Pakistan’s dependable pair of Babar and Imam then took the responsibility and added 29 runs for the second wicket and made sure the touring side do not lose further wickets before the Tea break.

Imam remained unbeaten on 40, while Babar scored a quick 14 not-out on 18 deliveries.

After enjoying a delightful first session of the fourth day, Sri Lanka added a crucial 67 runs to their total to set a massive target for the visitors at the back of an astonishing century from de Silva.

The right-handed batter put on another valiant partnership for his team as he added 82 runs for the eighth wicket with the help of Ramesh Mendis, who chipped in with an unbeaten 45 off 55 balls, laced with five boundaries.

The Sri Lankan called off their innings after their top-scorer de Silva fell as a result of a mix-up between the wickets and a direct hit from Yasir. He scored 109 off 171 balls with the help of 16 boundaries.

For Pakistan, Naseem Shah and Mohammad Nawaz claimed two wickets each, while Yasir, Salman Ali Agha, and Nauman Ali made one scalp each.

Earlier, the home side, resuming at an overnight score of 176/5, enjoyed a delightful session as they added 121 runs for the loss of two wickets in the opening session of the fourth day.

Sri Lanka captain Karunaratne and all-rounder de Silva showed no signs of rusting as they carried the momentum to give their side a solid start at the commencement of the day.

The duo appeared solid and neutralized the threat posed by the Pakistan bowlers and added 67 runs before Nauman made his first scalp to remove Karunaratne, who scored 61 off 105 deliveries with the help of three boundaries.

Right-handed batter de Silva, on the other hand, looked unaffected from the dismissal as he joined hands with the tailender Dinuth Wellalage to put on an important 35-run partnership for the seventh wicket.

Wellalage displayed grit in the course of his outstanding 18-run knock but Nawaz removed him via a caught behind and caused the hosts to slip at 278/7.

Pakistan bowlers then remained unable to pounce on the breakthrough as the hosts added a further 19 runs before the Lunch break to finish at a commanding 297/7.

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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 first Test of the two-match series against Sri Lanka, here at Galle International Stadium.

PLAYING XIs

Sri Lanka: Dimuth Karunaratne (c), Oshada Fernando, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dinesh Chandimal, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Ramesh Mendis, Maheesh Theekshana, Prabath Jayasuriya, Kasun Rajitha

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

HEAD TO HEAD

Matches-55, Pakistan-20, Australia-16, Draw-19

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka have announced an 18-member Test squad under the captaincy of Dimuth Karunartne for the upcoming Test series at home against Pakistan, scheduled from July 16.

Left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya will be leading Sri Lanka’s spin attack along with Maheesh Theekshana and Ramesh Mendis. Jayasuriya claimed 12 wickets helping his side to defeat Australia in the second Test.

Meanwhile, all-rounder Dhananjaya de Silva, pacer Asitha Fernando and spinner Jeffrey Vandersay have also been named in the squad after being ruled out of the second Test against Australia due to Covid.

The forthcoming Test series between Pakistan and Sri Lanka is part of the ICC World Test Championship Cycle 2021-23, with the first Test scheduled from July 16 to 20 at Galle while the second Test will be played at Colombo from July 24 to 28.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Test team are currently in Sri Lanka and were engaged in a three-day warm-up game against SLC Xl which ended in a draw.

Squads 

Sri Lanka: Dimuth Karunaratne (c), Pathum Nissanka, Oshada Fernando, Angelo Mathews, Kusal Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva, Kamindu Mendis, Niroshan Dickwella, Dinesh Chandimal, Ramesh Mendis, Maheesh Theekshana, Kasun Rajitha, Vishwa Fernando, Asitha Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka, Prabath Jayasuriya, Dunith Wellalage, Jeffrey Vandersay

Pakistan: Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (vc, wk), Abdullah Shafique, Azhar Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Fawad Alam, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Nauman Ali, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Afridi, Shan Masood, and Yasir Shah.

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COLOMBO: Opener Abdullah Shafique starred with the bat on the final day as Pakistan’s three-day warm-up match against Sri Lanka Xl ended on a draw, here on Wednesday.

Abdullah scored a magnificent 63 runs including five boundaries and two sixes before getting retired hurt. Whereas, Azhar Ali chipped in with 40, as Pakistan finished on 178/2 in their second innings.

Opener Imam ul Haq combined excellently with Abdullah to raise an opening stand of 61 runs before Imam was sent back to the pavilion on 30.

Fawad Alam fell cheaply on 6 before Sarfaraz Ahmed and Mohammad Nawaz remained firm on the crease till the end of the day’s play on 21 and 13, respectively.

For Sri Lanka Xl, Lasith Embuldeniya and Lakshitha Manasinghe made a scalp each.

Earlier, Sri Lanka Xl resumed with the overnight score of 278/5 at the onset of the final day’s play and gained a 52-runs lead before declaring their inning on 375/8.

Sadeera Samarawickrama remained the top-scorer of the match with his blistering knock of 91 while Nuwanidu Fernando and Nishan Madushka scored the fifties to frustrate Pakistan bowlers.

For Pakistan, Nawaz grabbed two wickets while Shaheen Shah Afridi, Hassan Ali, Naseem Shah, Agha Salman, Yasir Shah and Faheem Ashraf claimed wicket apiece.

Pakistan are set to lock horns against the hosts Sri Lanka for the two-match Test series with the first Test scheduled from July 16 to 20 at Galle.

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LAHORE: Pakistan cricket team departed for Sri Lanka for the forthcoming two-match Test series against the hosts, here from Allama Iqbal International Airport in the early hours of Wednesday.

The national Test squad led by the skipper Babar Azam left for Sri Lanka as Green Shirts will kick off their campaign with a three-day warm-up match from July 11 to July 13 before the two Tests against the Islanders.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) shared a video of the team’s departure for the upcoming Test tour of Sri Lanka on its official Twitter account.

And our boys are off to Sri Lanka for the Test series 🛫#SLvPAK | #BackTheBoysInGreen pic.twitter.com/UasT3XwwfI

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) July 5, 2022

The national team will be playing their first Test against Sri Lanka from July 16 to 20 at Galle, meanwhile, the second Test will be staged in Colombo from July 24 to 28.

Squad: 

Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan (vice-captain, wicketkeeper), Abdullah Shafique, Azhar Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Fawad Alam, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Nauman Ali, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicketkeeper), Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Afridi, Shan Masood, and Yasir Shah.

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