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Pakistan’s players pose with the trophy after their win at the end of the fourth day of the second and final cricket Test match against Sri Lanka at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) Ground in Colombo on 27 July 2023 – AFP
Pakistan’s Noman Ali celebrates after taking a wicket during the fourth day of the second and final cricket Test match against Sri Lanka at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) Ground in Colombo on 27 July 2023 – AFP
By Sa’adi Thawfeeq
On previous tours to Sri Lanka it was the Pakistani batsmen who showed weakness against left-arm spin, but in the current series the tables were turned and Sri Lanka’s batsmen found themselves floundering against the left-arm spin of Noman Ali who went onto take a career best 7/70 and bowl Pakistan to a comprehensive innings and 222 runs win in the second Test at the SSC grounds yesterday with a day to spare.
It was Pakistan’s biggest margin of victory over Sri Lanka and the win meant that Pakistan won the two-match series 2-0 and commence the new cycle of the ICC Test Championship (2023-25) on a high, collecting the maximum number of points (24). They won the first Test at Galle by four wickets.
Pakistan also became the first visiting team to win five Test series in Sri Lanka, the previous wins being in 1994 (2-0) under Saleem Malik, 2000 (2-0) under Moin Khan, 2006 (1-0) under Inzamam-ul-Haq, and 2015 (2-1) under Misbah-ul-Haq.
For Sri Lanka it was their heaviest defeat in a Test match at home, since they were beaten by South Africa by an innings and 208 runs at the same venue in 1993.
Sri Lanka faced an uphill task of trying to save the Test once Pakistan had gained a massive 410 runs first innings lead. And it was no surprise that they were bundled out for 188 to follow their disappointing first innings total of 166. On a pitch where the ball hardly spun, bounced or spat, the Lankan batsmen faltered in their technique and mentality to counter the Pakistani fast bowlers and spinners who kept them on a tight leash and tested their patience which was woefully lacking. They created pressure at both ends which led to the downfall of the majority of batsmen.
Noman, who took a wicket off the first ball he bowled in Sri Lanka’s second innings, improved on his previous best return of 6/107 against Australia at Rawalpindi in 2022. He captured the first seven wickets to fall and looked in line to join a select band of bowlers who had captured all ten in an innings. But fast bowler Naseem Shah who produced an outstanding spell of reverse swing bowling prized out the last three batsmen for ducks to finish with figures of 3/44 and along with it take his 50th Test wicket.
Angelo Mathews was left unbeaten on a gutsy knock of 63 off 127 balls.
Pakistan declared their first innings on 576-5 after just two overs in the morning session, with a lead of 410 runs.
Concussion substitute Mohammad Rizwan reached 50 off 67 balls with three fours in the second over and put on 108 runs with overnight partner Agha Salman, on 132 not out scored off 154 balls (15 fours, 1 six).
Sri Lanka started strongly with an opening stand of 69 before Noman bowled Madushka for 33 with his first ball of the day.
Left-hander Dimuth Karunaratne hit boundaries off Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi, with Madushka joining the charge until his departure. Karunaratne fell for 41 after lunch and Noman soon sent back Kusal Mendis and Dinesh Chandimal before Dhananjaya de Silva attempted to resist in his brief stay with Mathews but fell for 10 when he was caught out by Abrar Ahmed while attempting a big heave over long-on as Sri Lanka lost five wickets in the afternoon session to be 143-6 at tea.
Pakistan have held all the aces after bundling out Sri Lanka for 166, with Shafique’s maiden Test double ton guiding them to a mammoth total. The 23-year-old opener playing his 14th Test, put on three century stands, including a 124-run fifth-wicket partnership with Salman.
Shafique won the Player of the Match award and Salman, the Player of the Series award.
