Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Test: Hosts Tighten Grip on Day Two

Pakistan tightened their grip on the Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Test on Tuesday, declaring their first innings at 434 for nine before reducing the visitors to 114 for three at stumps on day two in Rawalpindi.

Sri Lanka still trail by 320 runs, with Kamindu Mendis unbeaten on 40 and Dhananjaya de Silva on 22. The pair will resume on day three, when Pakistan will look to press home their advantage.

Pakistan resumed the day on 281 for five and added 153 runs before captain Babar Azam declared in the afternoon session. Saud Shakeel fell short of a century, scoring 93, while debutant Arafat Minhas added a valuable half-century. Asitha Fernando took three wickets for 107 runs and Dilshan Madushanka took three for 108.

Early strikes put Sri Lanka under pressure

Sri Lanka’s reply began badly. Mohammad Abbas struck in the opening overs, removing opener Pasindu Sooriyabandara for a duck after only seven balls. Debutant Saqib Khan then took his first Test wicket, dismissing the experienced Dinesh Chandimal for one off three balls.

Lahiru Udara and Kamindu Mendis steadied the innings with a careful approach, and their stand passed 50 to take Sri Lanka past the half-century mark. Saqib struck again to remove Udara for 42 off 52 balls, an innings with seven boundaries, leaving Sri Lanka on 65 for three.

With three wickets down, de Silva joined Kamindu at the crease. The pair showed composure against Pakistan’s attack and put together an unbeaten 49-run stand to take the visitors past 100. Kamindu reached 40 off 78 balls, while de Silva made 22 off 28 balls.

Bad light brought an early end to play after 27.1 overs, with the umpires calling a halt at 4.20pm. Kamindu had some luck along the way: a tight leg-before decision went his way on umpire’s call, a chance fell short of backward point, and a run-out chance was missed.

Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Test: how day two unfolded

Pakistan’s bowlers kept a tight line through the day. Where Sri Lanka’s seamers had struggled to string deliveries together in a similar area, Pakistan’s attack worked a steady channel outside off stump, and the pressure told in the early wickets.

The hosts had built their total on the back of four half-centuries on day one, including debutants Tayyab Arif and Mohammad Taha, along with Babar Azam and Saud Shakeel. On day two, Shakeel moved along without trouble, adding stands of 96 with Ghazi Ghori and 44 with Arafat Minhas before he fell seven short of a hundred.

Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bowl, but their attack could not make early inroads on either day. Pakistan’s lower order kept adding runs, and the declaration left the visitors with a long evening session to survive.

Kamindu grew in confidence as the ball grew older, driving with the fluency that marks his best batting. Yet Sri Lanka still need a large partnership on day three to cut the deficit and keep the match alive.

Pakistan declared at 434 for nine after resuming on 281 for five, with Saud Shakeel top-scoring on 93. On day one, four batters hit fifties, including debutants Tayyab Arif and Mohammad Taha, as Pakistan reached 281 for five. Pakistan’s young cricketers also impressed in the U19 Asia Cup, beating Nepal by 101 runs to reach the semi-finals. Afghanistan and Bangladesh have also reached the U19 Asia Cup semi-finals. In other Test cricket, Hridoy’s record 324 sealed a draw as West Indies took the series against Bangladesh.

Dawn reported the day’s play on Tuesday.

Frequently asked questions

What is the score in the Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Test?

Pakistan declared at 434 for nine, and Sri Lanka reached 114 for three at stumps on day two, trailing by 320 runs.

Who top-scored for Pakistan?

Saud Shakeel top-scored with 93, falling seven runs short of a century, while debutant Arafat Minhas added a half-century.

Who took the wickets for Sri Lanka?

Asitha Fernando took three wickets for 107 runs and Dilshan Madushanka took three for 108.

How did Sri Lanka lose their early wickets?

Mohammad Abbas removed Pasindu Sooriyabandara for a duck, debutant Saqib Khan dismissed Dinesh Chandimal for one, and Saqib later removed Lahiru Udara for 42.

Who is batting for Sri Lanka on day three?

Kamindu Mendis will resume on 40 not out, with Dhananjaya de Silva unbeaten on 22, after their unbroken 49-run stand.