Babar Azam shows early form with fluent 88

Azhar Ali and Babar Azam put on a century partnership for Pakistan

Lakshitha Manasinghe was Sri Lanka Cricket XI’s most successful bowler with three wickets

• Pakistan three-day warm-up match at Colts

Captain Babar Azam hit early form scoring a fluent 88 off 113 balls inclusive of eight fours and four sixes on the opening day of Pakistan’s three-day warm-up match against a Sri Lanka cricket XI at the Colts grounds yesterday.

Winning the toss and choosing to bat first Pakistan ended the day at 277-7 with useful contributions of 43 apiece from Azhar Ali and Agha Salman.

Pakistan lost their first two wickets cheaply to be two wickets down for three runs before Azhar Ali and Babar rescued the innings with a partnership of 134 for the third wicket.

After the Lankan spinners had eaten into the Pakistan middle order reducing them to 206-7, a further partnership of 71 has developed between Saud Shakeel (30*) and Agha Salman (43*) to carry them to their close of play score.   

Off-spinner Lakshitha Manasinghe was the local team’s most successful bowler with three for 83, while left-arm spinner Lasith Embuldeniya picked up two wickets conceding 83 runs off 30 overs. The match continues today.

Scores: 

n Pakistan 277-7 at close (Azhar Ali 43, Babar Azam 88, Fawad Alam 22, Mohammad Rizwan 31, Saud Shakeel 30*, Agha Salman 43*, Lasith Embuldeniya 2/83, Lakshitha Manasinghe 3/83) v Sri Lanka Cricket XI.