Sri Lanka struggle to 114-3 after Pakistan's first Test declaration

Résumé détaillé

RAWALPINDI: Debutant pace bowler Saqib Khan grabbed two wickets as Sri Lanka struggled to 114-3 by the end of day two of the opening Test ...

RAWALPINDI: Debutant pace bowler Saqib Khan grabbed two wickets as Sri Lanka struggled to 114-3 by the end of day two of the opening Test after Pakistan declared at 434-9 in Rawalpindi on Tuesday.

Saqib dismissed Dinesh Chandimal for one in his second over and then removed a well-set Lahiru Udara for 42 to leave Sri Lanka on 65-3.

His experienced pace partner Mohammad Abbas took the first wicket, having opener Pasindu Sooriyabandara caught behind for a duck in the third over.

Kamindu Mendis (40) and Dhananjaya de Silva (22) were unbeaten at the close, with Sri Lanka still trailing by 320 runs on the first innings.

De Silva was dropped by spinner Arafat Minhas in the penultimate over of the day.

Pakistan middle-order batter Saud Shakeel earlier missed his century by seven runs, a miscued hook off Asitha Fernando giving wicketkeeper Kusal Mendis his fifth catch in the innings.

Shakeel, who became Fernando's 100th wicket in 29 Tests, hit nine boundaries in his 199-ball innings.

He lifted Pakistan from 281-5 overnight with a resolute 96-run stand with Ghazi Ghori for the sixth wicket. Ghori scored a confident 48.

"Yes, you get disappointed when you miss a milestone and it looks bad," said Shakeel. "But we have put up a good total with Arafat chipping in with a half century."

Début de l'article, extrait de Oman Observer. Pour lire la suite, ouvrez l'article chez le média.