Friday Dec 27, 2024
Friday Dec 27, 2024
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Pakistan’s Abdullah Shafique celebrates after scoring double centuries (200 runs) during the third day of the second and final cricket Test match against Sri Lanka at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) Ground in Colombo yesterday – AFP
Pakistan’s Agha Salman celebrates after scoring a century (100 runs) during the third day of the second and final cricket Test match against Sri Lanka at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) ground in Colombo
yesterday – AFP
By Sa’adi Thawfeeq
Sri Lanka had their backs to the wall to try and save the second Test after Pakistan piled up 563-5 at the end of the third day to lead by a massive 397 runs at the SSC grounds yesterday.
A maiden double century from opening batsman Abdullah Shafique and Aghar Salman’s second Test century saw Pakistan continue their dominance in the rain-hit Test scoring 363 runs during the day for the loss of three wickets.
It was another tough day in office for the Lankans who had only themselves to blame for being in this position. They won the toss and batted poorly to be bowled out for 166 on the opening day, which left Pakistan plenty of time to build up a massive first innings total despite only ten overs being bowled on the second day due to rain.
Shafique continued to be the bulwark of the Pakistan innings as he went past his previous highest Test score of 160* which was also against Sri Lanka in that successful run chase of 342 at Galle last year. Starting the day on 87 Shafique hit two successive boundaries off Asitha Fernando before a single got his fourth Test hundred off 149 balls, and received a standing ovation from the dressing room.
Skipper Babar Azam moved from his overnight 28 to 39 before being trapped lbw off left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya, with the decision upheld by the third umpire after review. It was the sixth time Babar had been dismissed in Test cricket by Jayasuriya, who bowled unchanged from one end in the first session.
Shafique continued to dominate the Lankan bowling moving to his 150 off 235 balls to be ten short of his double hundred at tea when Pakistan were 397-4.
Sri Lanka managed only a solitary wicket in the session. Saud Shakeel brought up his fifty with a cover drive for four off Fernando with the second new ball, but the bowler had his revenge. A ball later, he trapped him lbw for 57 to end a partnership of 109 with Shafique. It was Shakeel’s seventh score of over fifty in his first seven Tests – a new record.
Sarfaraz Ahmed who replaced Shakeel took the first ball he received from Fernando on his helmet and it went for four byes. But after batting for a further 21 balls Sarfaraz was forced to go off the field with his score on 14 suffering from dizziness and was later replaced by Mohammad Rizwan as concussion sub. Aghar Salman joined Shafique and continued to pile on the agony for Sri Lanka. The free-flowing Salman dominated a fifth wicket partnership of 124.
Shafique received another standing ovation from his dugout when he brought up his double hundred with a single off Fernando becoming the eleventh Pakistani opener to do so in Tests. But with his score on 201 he fell to Jayasuriya who had toiled hard for wickets when he sliced a catch to mid-off. Shafique hit 19 fours and four sixes in his 326-ball innings. Wickets for Sri Lanka came few and far between because Salman and Rizwan continued the frustration further by being involved in a stand of 95 for the sixth wicket.
Scoring virtually at will, Salman raced to his second Test century off 103 balls and was undefeated at the close on 132 with Rizwan on 37 having hit 15 fours and one six in his 148-ball innings. Pakistan leads the two-match Test series 1-0 having won the first Test at Galle by four wickets.
