Tag: Sri Lanka vs Pakistan

‘We’ll miss Shaheen in the second Test’ Pakistan head coach Saqlain

Posted on by A Sports

GALLE: Pakistan head coach Saqlain Mushtaq confirmed the unavailability of the ace pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi for the second Test against Sri Lanka, while also acknowledging that the touring side will miss the left-arm pacer.

Saqlain, while talking to the media here ahead of the second ODI, asserted that the touring bowlers will miss the services of the left-arm pacer as he guides them throughout in the games.

“No doubt, our bowlers will miss Shaheen in the second Test. He is our main bowler and he guides his fellowmen as well. Definitely, the bowlers will miss his presence as he brings in a lot of charisma to the unit,” Saqlain stated.

The national head coach then remained reluctant to the changes for the second Test except for the replacement of injured Afridi, while emphasizing that the final playing XI will be decided after analyzing the pitch.

“We have looked at the pitch but nothing is decided as of yet. Obviously, Shaheen’s replacement is there but apart from this, we will sit and decide before announcing the final XI,” said Saqlain.

“Our players showed great determination, potential and execution of plans to win the last game. From Abdullah Shafique to tail-ender Naseem Shah and then Hassan Ali, Yasir Shah and others, everyone fought hard to achieve a well-deserved victory,” he added.

It is pertinent to mention here that ace pacer Shaheen sustained a gruelling knee injury during the first Test against Sri Lanka, which resulted in his exclusion from the second Test. According to the sources, Nauman Ali will receive a call-up in the playing XI as Shaheen’s replacement.

READ: Bowlers star as England crush South Africa in a rain-affected second ODI

Records tumble as Pakistan seal historic victory over Sri Lanka in first Test

Posted on by A Sports

GALLE: Various records tumbled during the recently-concluded first Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka as the visitors defeated Sri Lanka by four wickets on the back of an astounding unbeaten 160-run knock of right-handed opener Abdullah Shafique.

As Pakistan displayed sheer dominance over the Sri Lankan bowling attack in the fourth inning; chasing their second-highest ever total in the history of Test cricket. The Green Shirts have registered several records from their incredible victory.

 

Pakistan’s successful 342-run chase against Sri Lanka in the first Test is the highest chase by any team at Galle. The previous highest successful fourth-innings chase here was 268 by Sri Lanka versus New Zealand in 2019.

Pakistan’s hero of the Galle Test Abdullah, who displayed brilliance with his outstanding knock of 160* and guided the touring side to a historic victory also tumbled various records, as the right-handed batter become the first Pakistan batter to score a century at Galle in the fourth inning.

The 22-year-old opener has also scored the most Test runs for Pakistan after six matches, having scored 685 runs at an average of 76.11, leaving behind the legendary batter Javed Miandad, who scored 652.

 

Furthermore, following his gritty knock of 160*, Abdullah has also become the first batter in Test history to bat over 500 minutes in a successful run chase as his match-winning knock saw him staying at the crease for a mammoth 524 runs.

 

Whereas, Abdullah’s 160 is also the third-highest individual score by a Pakistan batter in the fourth inning of a Test.

Besides Abdullah, Pakistan captain Babar Azam touched another milestone completing 10,000 international runs across all formats to become the fastest Asian batter to reach the landmark.

 

On the opening day of the Galle Test, the Pakistan captain also became the fifth-fastest batter to mark 10,000 runs in international cricket in the record 228 innings, surpassing India’s Virat Kohli and Australia’s Steve Smith as both took 232 innings to achieve the feat.

The right-handed batter is also the quickest Pakistan batter to the 10,000 runs mark, leaving behind legendary batter Miandad, who achieved the milestone in 248 innings.

 

READ: Pakistan climb to third spot in Test Championship after Galle Test win

‘Job isn’t done yet’ centurion Abdullah aims to lead Pakistan to victory

Posted on by A Sports

GALLE: Pakistan’s fourth-inning centurion Abdullah Shafique, who bolstered the touring side to close in on the 342-run target has set his sights on leading the Green Shirts to victory in the first Test against Sri Lanka.

Abdullah, in a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)’s released statement on the conclusion of the fourth day of the ongoing Test, expressed satisfaction with his magnificent knock, while at the same time claiming that he is aware that the job is not done yet.

“First and foremost, I want to express my gratitude to the Almighty as I was able to score second Test hundred for Pakistan. We are currently in a very comfortable position, so I will do everything in my power to ensure that we pursue the total tomorrow,” Abdullah stated.

“The job is not done yet but the strive will be to maintain our focus tomorrow and chase the remaining total. The target is to not get easy in any phase and I am hopeful the result will be in our favour,” he added.

The right-handed batter then went on to reveal the team’s strategy to go for the total and claimed that they divided the target into small partitions, session by session to move closer to it by the end of the day.

“The master plan was to go for the chase, but we made small targets session by session to come closer to it,” he revealed.

The opening batter, who remained unbeaten with a magnificent 122, also opined on his crucial 101-run partnership with Pakistan captain Babar Azam and claimed that the latter’s presence gives him a lot of confidence.

“Babar is a wonderful batter and I have always learned from him. It was helpful to have him at the other end. He was guiding me throughout,” Abdullah shared.

“His wicket put more responsibility on me. I tried to not lose a wicket and help my team finish the day on a high note. Now, my target is to win this match for my team tomorrow,” he maintained.

Abdullah then heaped praises on Sri Lanka’s left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya and claimed that the team’s strategy was to go after him and stop him from stifling the touring batters.

“We chose to pursue Jayasuriya, a fantastic bowler who was extremely challenging to face on this pitch, and develop scoring options against him so that he wouldn’t feel like he was succeeding,” he concluded.

It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan need a further 120 runs on the final day to seal victory in the ongoing first Test against Sri Lanka. Centurion Abdullah (122*) and Mohammad Rizwan (7*) will resume the proceedings for the touring side at 222/3.

READ: West Indian batter Lendl Simmons retires from international cricket

Yasir’s magical delivery to Mendis sparks ball of the century debate

Posted on by A Sports

GALLE: Pakistan leg-spinner Yasir Shah has sparked the ball of the century debate with his magical delivery to right-handed Sri Lankan batter Kusal Mendis on the third day of the ongoing first Test, here on Monday.

Veteran leg-spinner Yasir, who made his return to international cricket after a gap of almost one year, took the internet by storm with his magical delivery to right-handed batter Mendis.

Mendis, who was set on the crease, having scored 76 runs, fell victim to Yasir in the 56th over as the latter bowled an astounding delivery to put an end to his valiant inning.

The leg-spinner pitched the ball outside the leg-stump which spun sharply and castled the right-handed batter’s off-stump.

Following his magical delivery, a new debate about the ball of the century has erupted, with both Pakistan Cricket and Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) sharing footage of Yasir castling Mendis with a beauty.

“Just 22 years in, but do you think this will be the ball of the century?” Pakistan Cricket wrote while sharing Yasir’s magical delivery.

 

The Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), on the other hand, asked the netizens whether the delivery could be in contention for the ball of the century, while also claiming it reminded the viewers of Shane Warne’s ‘Ball of the Century’.

“Ball of the Century candidate? Yasir Shah stunned Kusal Mendis with a stunning delivery which reminded the viewers of Shane Warne’s ‘Ball of the Century’,” SLC wrote on Twitter.

 

Besides the two cricket boards, several cricket fans have also taken to Twitter and praised the magical delivery, while some were quick to term it the ‘Ball of the Century’.

https://twitter.com/thtpakistaniguy/status/1549050878174212096

A user, on the other hand, termed Yasir’s magical delivery ‘Ball of the Year’, while claiming that the 36-year-old is still the best leg-spinner in red-ball cricket.

https://twitter.com/ArslanTahir/status/1549098791751630851

It is pertinent to mention here that Sri Lanka have attained command of the ongoing first Test as the hosts finished at 329/9 on the third day with a combined lead of 333 runs against the Green Shirts.

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Pakistan-Sri Lanka second Test shifted to Galle: Reports

Posted on by A Sports

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.

READ: New Zealand surpass Pakistan in ICC WC Super League points table 

Late wickets bolster Sri Lanka after batters score 222 in first inning

Posted on by A Sports

GALLE: Sri Lanka finished the opening day of the first Test in a relatively comfortable position as their bowlers restrict Pakistan on 24/2 after the batters could only muster 222 in the first inning.

Pakistan, in response to Sri Lanka’s 222, finished the opening day at 24/2 after Prabath Jayasuriya and Kasun Rajitha removed both openers – Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq – in quick successions for a skimpy 13 and two respectively.

Following the early hiccup, Pakistan captain Babar Azam (1*) and veteran right-handed batter Azhar Ali (3*) will now resume the proceedings for the touring side with a deficit of 198 runs.

Batting first, Sri Lanka could only manage to pose 222 runs on the board despite a valiant half-century from their in-form batter Chandimal as the rest of the batters remained unable to contribute significantly to the total.

The right-handed batter top-scored for the side with 76 off 115 balls in the course of his fighting knock, laced with 10 boundaries and a six.

Besides Chandimal, Sri Lanka’s right-arm pacer Maheesh Theekshana remained the significant contributor as he scored important 38 runs down the order and bolstered the home side to a commendable total.

For Pakistan, Shaheen led the way with four wickets, while Yasir Shah and Hasan Ali bagged two each. Mohammad Nawaz, and Naseem Shah, on the other hand, struck out a batter each.

Sri Lanka, after resuming their first innings at 166/8 in the final session of the opening day, added 56 runs for the remaining two wickets as Theekshana displayed brilliance after Chandimal’s dismissal and added quick runs at the death.

The touring side earlier enjoyed a delightful second session as the hosts could only add 86 runs at the cost of four wickets at the back of a gritty unbeaten knock of Chandimal.

Resuming their score at 80/4 after Lunch, Sri Lanka soon lost half of their side on a combined score of 99 as Shaheen claimed his second wicket by removing Dhananjaya de Silva for 14.

Wicket-keeper batter Niroshan Dickwella’s stay at the crease, also remained brief as the left-arm pacer struck again to provide Pakistan with their sixth breakthrough.

Chandimal and Ramesh Mendis then attempted to anchor the proceedings for Sri Lanka as they added an important 27 runs for the seventh wicket before right-arm speedster Naseem struck his first by removing the latter on 11.

All-rounder Nawaz then further pushed the hosts on the back foot as he removed the tailender Prabath Jayasuriya for four and Sri Lanka, eventually, slipped to 133/8.

Amid the frustrating collapse, right-handed batter Chandimal displayed astounding resilience and kept the scoreboard ticking single-handedly while scoring boundaries at will. He smashed Naseem for three consecutive boundaries in the 45th over to bring up his 22nd Test half-century.

Sri Lanka, after opting to bat first, were off to a poor start as left-arm pacer Shaheen struck in his second over to remove the Sri Lankan captain Dimuth Karunaratne for a mere one.

Following the early hiccup, the hosts marched towards recovery with a gritty 49-run partnership for the second wicket as opener Oshada Fernando and Kusal Mendis batted sensibly and anchored the innings.

The duo appeared settled and was ticking the scoreboard comfortably, till the 15th over before the returning leg-spinner Yasir removed Mendis for 21. He faced 35 deliveries and smashed three boundaries. Following his departure, the hosts slipped to 60/2.

Pakistan pacer Hasan then added to the misery of the home side as he struck out Fernando in the next over, who remained the top-scorer for Sri Lanka thus far with 35 runs off 49 deliveries.

With the side struggling at 60/3, the veteran Sri Lankan batter Angelo Mathews looked to settle things down and took on a defensive approach, only for bagging a 15-ball-duck to Yasir.

Following Mathews’s dismissal, the home side were in all sorts of trouble at 68/4 in the 21st over. Sri Lanka’s hero for the second Test against Australia, Dinesh Chandimal and Dhananjaya de Silva then carried their way till lunch as they added 12 runs for the fifth wicket to help Sri Lanka finish at 80/4.

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

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

Posted on by A Sports

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

PAK vs SL: Netizens irked over Fawad’s exclusion from the Playing XI

Posted on by Syed Ahsan Ali Jaffri

KARACHI: Several cricket fans have expressed their disappointment over the exclusion of left-handed batter Fawad Alam from Pakistan’s recently-announced Playing XI for the first Test against Sri Lanka.

Fawad, who had been an integral part of the Green Shirts’ red ball team since his historic return to international cricket in 2020 after a gap of almost 11 years, has now been dropped from the national side for the first Test, scheduled to commence on Saturday.

The left-handed batter, who just had one century to his name before his iconic return, smashed four centuries in just 18 innings and strengthened his spot in the team.

The 36-year-old then had a series to forget when Australia toured Pakistan after a gap of 24 years in April this year. The left-handed batter could only manage to score 33 runs in two matches.

As a result of his slump, the left-handed batter has remained unable to earn a spot in the team’s Playing XI as Salman Ali Agha will be making his Test debut tomorrow.

Following this, several cricket fans have taken to Twitter and questioned his exclusion from the Playing XI.

A Sports Journalist questioned the take on backing struggling pacer Hasan Ali while dropping Fawad after failing just against Australia.

“Back Hasan Ali and drop Fawad Alam? Why this facility is not available to every player? Fawad only failed against Australia and got dropped? If there are decisions based on malice, then the destination will be difficult, friendship and make decisions out of malice, brother,” he wrote.

 

On the other hand, a cricket fan expressed his joy over Agha’s Test debut while also lamenting the fact that Fawad did not receive the support he deserved from Pakistan captain Babar Azam.

Another cricket fan questioned the wisdom of the choice after mentioning Fawad’s recent performance.

A cricket fan criticized Babar for motivating Virat Kohli, while, on the other hand, benching Fawad after two bad matches.

A number of netizens quoted Babar’s message for the former Indian captain Kohli “This too, shall pass. Stay Strong” while expressing solidarity with Fawad on being dropped from the national side.

READ: Agha to debut as Pakistan unveils Playing XI for first Test against Sri Lanka

Agha to debut as Pakistan unveils Playing XI for first Test against Sri Lanka

Posted on by A Sports

GALLE: All-rounder Salman Ali Agha is set to make his debut for Pakistan on Saturday as the Green Shirts unveiled their Playing XI for the first Test against Sri Lanka.

Following his incredible run in the last three seasons of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, the all-rounder was initially named in the national team’s 18-member squad for the Test series.

The right-handed batter scored 1,629 runs at a remarkable average of 56.19 in 18 first-class matches since the 2019-2020 season. During this specific period, Agha smashed five centuries and eight half-centuries, while claiming 25 wickets with the ball.

 

Leg spinner Yasir Shah and all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz will make their return to the Test side for the first encounter of the two-match series.

Yasir, who aided Pakistan’s 2-1 series victory over Sri Lanka with his player of the series performance, will play his first Test since August 2021 after overcoming a thumb injury.

Nawaz, on the other hand, will make his return to the Test side after nearly a six-year gap, having played his last red-ball match in November 2106.

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

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‘Spinners dominate here’ Babar predicts conditions ahead of Test series

Posted on by A Sports

GALLE: Pakistan all-format captain Babar Azam opined regarding the playing conditions on offer here and claimed that the spinners dominate on these pitches ahead of the Green Shirts’ two-match away Test series against Sri Lanka.

In a scheduled pre-match press conference, the Pakistan captain acknowledged the importance of spinners in the series and claimed that they will play a key role.

“We played a warm-up game in Colombo and we found out that spinners dominate in these conditions,” Babar stated.

“Similarly, we heard that Galle pitch also supports spinners. Probably on the second and third day, or on the fourth day, spinners become too useful,” he maintained.

The right-handed batter also gave reference to the recently-concluded Test series between Australia and Sri Lanka while claiming that the touring side will plan by keeping the strength of the home side in mind.

“We have prepared ourselves strongly for the series, keeping in mind the strength of Sri Lanka at their home. We watched them play against Australia and will plan accordingly,” Babar shared.

World No.4 then expressed his hope in watching the Sri Lankan crowd in the stands despite the ongoing economic crisis and political unrest in the country, while also claiming that the Sri Lankan fans love Test cricket.

“Sri Lankan people love Test cricket. We saw their attendance in the Australia Test series, and it was impressive,” Babar said.

In response to a question regarding the safety and well-being of the touring side, the Pakistan skipper claimed that the Sri Lankan forces looked after them really well despite the ongoing tensions in the Island, while stressing that their sole focus is on cricket.

“We didn’t feel unsafe here because we have been looked after so well by Sri Lanka Cricket and security forces,” the skipper shared.

“We also played a warm-up game here and there weren’t any hurdles that made us feel unsafe. So, I think we should now focus on just our game,” he concluded.

READ: Pakistan captain Babar Azam backs out-of-form Virat Kohli