Sports Bulletin Report
Galle (Sri Lanka):-Captain Babar Azam produced a Test match batting master class to keep Pakistan in the hunt on day-two of the first of the two ICC World Test Championship matches against Sri Lanka at the Galle International Stadium on Sunday.
Babar, stonewalled for 244 balls in all to ensure his side finishes a mere four runs behind Sri Lanka’s first innings score of 222 after they had been reduced to 148 for nine in the second session of an absorbing day of Test cricket.
Pakistan then took the important wicket of Sri Lankan captain Dimuth Karunaratne (16) as Sri Lanka finished day-two at 36 for one – 40 runs ahead with nine second wickets intact.
Earlier, Babar, the Pakistan batting linchpin added 70 runs for the 10th wicket with Naseem Shah (five not out) to script a remarkable comeback for his side that had endured a batting failure after resuming at the overnight score of 24 for two.
Azhar Ali (3) was dismissed in the first over after a delayed start due to rain while middle-order batters Mohammad Rizwan (19), debutant Agha Salman (5) and Mohammad Nawaz (5) returned to the pavilion in the first session of play. Shaheen Shah Afridi also fell for a first ball duck to leave Pakistan precariously placed at 104 for seven at lunch.
Left-arm-spinner Prabath Jayasuria, took the third successive five-wicket haul of his Test career which is a mere two Test old. Jayasuria took five of the first seven wickets to fall.
Post-lunch, Babar received productive contributions from Yasir Shah (18) and Hasan Ali (17) yet Pakistan were in the doldrums when Hasan fell to off-spinner Ramesh Mendis.
Naseem then provided stubborn resistance and blunted one end as Babar after a steady start to the partnership upped the tempo shortly before the tea interval.
Babar reached his century soon after play resumed post-tea, the right-hander reached the milestone on the 216th ball of his epic innings with the help of 10 fours and one six. Babar was the last man to fall for 119 as Pakistan finished their first innings at 218.
Summarized Score Card:
Sri Lanka Batting (1st innings): 222 all out in 66.1 overs
Dinesh Chandimal 76 runs (Balls 115, 4X10, 6X1), Maheesh Theekshana 38 runs (Balls 65, 4X4, 6X1), Oshada Fernando 35 runs (Balls 49, 4X5, 6X0), Kusal Mendis 21 runs (Balls 35, 4X3, 6X0)
Pakistan Bowling:
Shaheen Shah Afridi (4 for 58), Hasan Ali (2 for 23), Yasir Shah (2 for 66), Mohammad Nawaz (1 for 18), Naseem Shah (1 for 53)
Pakistan Batting (1st inning): 218 all out in 90.5 overs
Babar Azam 119 runs (Balls 244, 4X11, 6X2), Mohammad Rizwan 19 runs (Balls 35, 4X3, 6X0), Yasir Shah 18 runs (Balls 56, 4x1, 6X0), Hasan Ali 17 runs (Balls 21, 4x0, 6x2), Abdullah Shafiq 13 runs (Balls 47, 4X2, 6X0)
Sri Lanka Bowling:
Prabath Jayasuriya (5 for 82), Ramesh Mendis (2 for 18), Maheesh Theekshana (2 for 68), Kasun Rajitha (1for 42)
Sri Lanka Batting (2nd innings):
Oshada Fernando runs not out (Balls 35, 4X3, 6X0), Dimuth Karunaratne 16 runs (Balls 29, 4X2, 6X0), Kasun Rajitha 3 runs not our (Balls 7, 4X0, 6X0)
Pakistan Bowling:
Mohammad Nawaz (1 for 16)
Toss: Sri Lanka won the toss and decided to bat first
Sri Lanka (Playing XIs)
Oshada Fernando, Dimuth Karunaratne (c), Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Dhananjaya de Silva, Niroshan Dickwella, Ramesh Mendis, Maheesh Theekshana, Kasun Rajitha, Prabath Jayasuriya
Pakistan (Playing XIs):
Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan (Wicketkeeper), Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Hasan Ali, Naseem Shah, Yasir Shah, Mohammad Nawaz, Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Azhar Ali
