Pakistan fights back after Dhananjaya century

•  First Test nicely poised

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Pakistan pair Saud Shakeel and Agha Salman scored fifties apiece and mounted a brilliant counter-attack on the Sri Lankan spinners to rescue Pakistan from total collapse after Vice-captain Dhananjaya de Silva scored 122 to hand the host a respectable total of 312 on the second day of the first cricket Test at the Galle International Cricket Stadium yesterday.

After the Lankan spinners led by left-armer  Prabath Jayasuriya had reduced Pakistan to 101-5, Shakeel and Salman got together in an unbroken sixth wicket partnership of 120 to bring their team into the contest when at one point it seemed that Sri Lanka would run away with the match.

The pair showed a lot of maturity in tackling the spinners using their feet to get to the pitch of the ball and snuffing the spin. The most heartening feature was the ease with which the pair accumulated their runs that saw Pakistan score at nearly five runs an over.

The partnership was flourishing and dominating Pakistan’s batting when rain which had delayed the start after tea by a few minutes returned with 22 overs remaining for the day to end play with Pakistan on 221-5, 91 runs behind Sri Lanka’s total.

Shakeel was on 69, scored off 88 balls with six fours and Salman on 61 off 84 balls with six fours and one six.

Earlier, Dhananjaya de Silva scored a defiant tenth hundred playing in his 50th Test to guide Sri Lanka to a respectable first innings total. Unbeaten on 94 overnight he brought up his century with a glance to fine leg off Shaheen Shah Afridi and went onto carve out a brilliant innings under pressure.

De Silva came to bat with Sri Lanka reeling under the pace of Shaheen and Naseem at 54-4 and was ninth out at 283 having hit 12 fours and three sixes off 214 balls. He was eventually out caught at deep third man by Shan Masood attempting to force the pace.

Sri Lanka’s last four wickets added 70 valuable runs, with 28 of them coming in a frustrating last wicket stand between Kasun Rajitha (8) and Vishwa Fernando (21 not out). Naseem and leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed were Pakistan’s successful wicket takers yesterday sharing the last four wickets.

Prabath Jayasuriya celebrates after taking the wicket of Pakistan’s Babar Azam (not pictured) - AFP

Abrar took the first wicket of the morning by having Ramesh Mendis taken at slip by Babar Azam for five. Naseem picked up the wickets of Prabath Jayasuriya (4) and De Silva to finish with three wickets. Abrar ended the innings on the stroke of lunch with his third wicket having Rajitha caught off bat and pad by Shafique at short leg.

Afridi who caused Sri Lanka’s top order collapse on the first day with three wickets though bowling tight lengths and beating the bat often went unrewarded.Jayasuriya had Pakistan in a spin capturing three wickets for 46 runs as the tourists slumped to 132-5 at tea.

Jayasuriya who’s favourite hunting ground Galle is, captured the wickets of Abdullah Shafique for 19, Babar Azam for 13 and Sarfraz Ahmed for 17 after Kasun Rajitha made the initial breakthrough for Sri Lanka when Imam-ul-Haq drove a half volley straight to backward point with his score on one.

From there on it was the Sri Lanka spinners who dominated the afternoon session as Pakistan batsmen tried to come to terms with a turning pitch. Shan Masood batted with aggressive intent for 39 before being trapped lbw by Ramesh Mendis. However, the rain that delayed the start of the final session seemed to have eased the pitch and the spinners found little assistance from it than they had in the afternoon.

Play will commence at 9.45 a.m. today with a minimum of 98 overs to be bowled.