Table of Contents
Rawalpindi Test: Pakistan strengthened their position in the opening Test against Sri Lanka after declaring their first innings at 434 for nine and reducing the visitors to 114 for three on the second day at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday. Sri Lanka ended the day’s play trailing by 320 runs, with seven wickets remaining in their first innings.
The second day featured a determined batting performance from Pakistan, followed by an impressive response from the home team’s bowlers, who struck at crucial moments to put Sri Lanka under pressure.
Pakistan Declare at 434 After Strong Batting Display
Pakistan resumed their first innings at 281 for five, with Saud Shakeel and wicketkeeper-batter Ghazi Ghori at the crease.
The pair continued their partnership and added valuable runs to the scoreboard, helping Pakistan move beyond the 300-run mark and build a commanding total.
Pakistan eventually declared at 434 for nine after 106.3 overs, giving their bowlers a substantial first-innings advantage.
Five Pakistani batters registered half-centuries during the innings, highlighting the team’s collective batting contribution.
Saud Shakeel Misses Century by Seven Runs
Saud Shakeel delivered the standout performance for Pakistan, scoring 93 runs from 199 deliveries.
The left-handed batter looked comfortable at the crease and played a crucial role in strengthening Pakistan’s position before being dismissed by Asitha Fernando.
Ghazi Ghori also made an important contribution, scoring 48 runs from 72 balls. His partnership with Saud added 96 runs for the sixth wicket.
Debutant Arafat Minhas continued Pakistan’s impressive batting display with a valuable 52 off 72 deliveries, including nine boundaries and a six.
Other notable contributions included Tayyab Arif’s 57, Mohammad Taha’s 51 and captain Babar Azam’s 50.
Azaan Awais also contributed 30 runs, while Razaullah scored 10 before Pakistan declared their innings.
For Sri Lanka, Asitha Fernando and Dilshan Madushanka claimed three wickets each. Lahiru Kumara, Milan Rathnayake and Sonal Dinusha also picked up wickets.
Sri Lanka Lose Three Early Wickets
Sri Lanka faced an early challenge when they began their reply against Pakistan’s substantial first-innings total.
Experienced fast bowler Mohammad Abbas provided the breakthrough by dismissing Pasindu Sooriyabandara for a duck.
Test debutant Saqib Khan then made an immediate impact, removing Dinesh Chandimal for just one run.
Saqib struck again to dismiss opening batter Lahiru Udara, who had scored 42 runs from 52 deliveries, including seven boundaries.
These early breakthroughs left Sri Lanka under considerable pressure as Pakistan’s bowlers looked to extend their advantage.
Saqib Khan Makes Immediate Impact on Debut
Saqib Khan emerged as Pakistan’s leading bowler on the second day, taking two wickets and demonstrating his ability to contribute at the highest level in his first Test appearance.
Mohammad Abbas also played an important role, claiming one wicket and providing Pakistan with an experienced bowling option.
However, Sri Lanka managed to stabilise their innings through Kamindu Mendis and Dhananjaya de Silva.
The pair built an unbeaten partnership to prevent further damage before the close of play.
Pakistan Maintain Strong Position Heading into Day Three
At stumps, Sri Lanka had reached 114 for three after 27.1 overs, remaining 320 runs behind Pakistan’s first-innings total.
Kamindu Mendis was unbeaten on 40, while Dhananjaya de Silva had scored 22 without being dismissed.
Both batters will resume the innings on Wednesday as Sri Lanka attempt to reduce the deficit and avoid conceding a substantial advantage to Pakistan.
The second day also highlighted the contributions of Pakistan’s four debutants: Tayyab Arif, Mohammad Taha, Arafat Minhas and Saqib Khan.
With Pakistan having posted 434 runs and already taken three wickets, the home side will look to maintain its momentum on the third day.
Sri Lanka, meanwhile, will need a determined batting effort from their remaining players to recover from the difficult position and challenge Pakistan in the opening Test of the series.See More on Pulse Pakistan
