Lanka struggle at 114-3 after Pakistan’s first Test declaration in Rawalpindi

Pakistan’s debutants continued to inspire to leave Sri Lanka trailing by 320 runs with seven first-innings wickets in hand after two days of their first Test in Rawalpindi on Tuesday.

Fast bowler Saqib Khan, one of the four newcomers, brought the greenish pitch to life with 2-54 as Sri Lanka reached 114-3 before bad light brought an early closure for the second successive day. Nearly 26 overs were not bowled.

Only 67.2 overs were possible on Day 1 when Pakistan reached 281-5 with play continuing in floodlights for almost 45 minutes on both days at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

Pakistan declared at 434-9 midway into the second session on Tuesday after five half-centuries - three to debutants - and a 48. Saud Shakeel missed out on his first century in over two years on 93.

At stumps, Kamindu Mendis survived a close lbw review and a leading edge fell just short of the fielder to be unbeaten on 40 and former test captain Dhananjaya de Silva had 22.

Pakistan’s most experienced seamer Mohammad Abbas and Saqib hit the right lengths with the new ball and both struck in their second overs to have Sri Lanka reeling at 12-2.

Pakistan's Saqib Khan (right) delivers a ball as Sri Lanka's Dhananjaya de Silva (left) looks on. AFP

Abbas extracted movement from his off stump line and found the outside edge of Pasindu Sooriyabandara, who was promoted to open the innings in his third Test and out for a duck.

Saqib struck off his ninth delivery in Test cricket when he squared up the experienced Dinesh Chandimal from a perfect length ball that angled across the right hander and edged the shoulder of the bat to the slips cordon.

Sri Lanka slumped further in the shortened final session when Lahiru Udara, who struck seven fours in his aggressive 42, played a loose drive to Saqib and edged to wicketkeeper Ghazi Ghori only two balls after a reprieve from Mohammad Taha, who grassed a one-handed catch at gully.

Mendis and de Silva survived under floodlights and added 49 runs for their unfinished fourth-wicket stand.

Shakeel’s steely 193-ball knock in just over 5 1/2 hours grew Pakistan’s total in partnerships of 96 with Ghazi Ghori (48) and 44 with Arafat Minhas (52).

Minhas smashed nine fours and a pulled six off Lahiru Kumara before holing out to long-on when Pakistan was looking for quick runs in the second session.

Shakeel, on 91 at lunch, was out in the first over afterward for 93. Shakeel gloved a leg-side short ball and was caught behind to give Asitha Fernando (3-107) his 100th Test wicket.

Pakistan's Saud Shakeel (left) and Ghazi Ghori (right) run between the wickets during the second day of the first test cricket match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi on Tuesday. AFP

The Sri Lanka fast bowlers struggled to hit the right lengths on a consistent basis and the fielding was scrappy. Fernando dropped a skier off Minhas at mid-on before the left-hander completed his maiden Test fifty off 70 balls.

Razaullah knocked a six and a four before captain Babar Azam declared when Razaullah was caught at long-off and gave Kumara his only wicket of the innings.

In a dominant first session, Pakistan added 109 to their overnight 281-5 and lost only the wicket of Ghori after Sri Lanka couldn’t penetrate through the middle order even with the second new ball.

Ghori couldn’t get his maiden Test half-century and fell when he dabbed left-arm seamer Dilshan Madushanka (3-108) to Sooriyabandara at gully.

Shakeel, who scored his last Test hundred against England here in 2024, rotated the strike and Minhas’ positive intent ensured Pakistan score at more than four runs an over.

Associated Press