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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