SL vs PAK, 1st Test: Shakeel, Saud assist Pakistan counter Sri Lanka’s spin on Day 2

An unbeaten century stand between Saud Shakeel and Agha Salman rescued Pakistan from a precarious 101 for 5 on the second day of the rain-hit opening Test on Monday.

In response to Sri Lanka’s 312, Pakistan reached 221 for 5 when rain stopped play, with the vacationer nonetheless 91 runs behind.

Sri Lanka’s left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya took three wickets, together with skipper Babar Azam.

Sri Lanka batter Dhananjaya de Silva had earlier made 122 handy the host a good complete.

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Pakistan faltered in its reply earlier than Shakeel, on 69, and Salman, on 61, placed on 120 runs to regular the innings and thwart the Sri Lankan spinners.

The left-and-right-hand batting mixture of Shakeel and Salman blended the precise dose of warning and aggression, with 12 fours and a six between them.

The pair confirmed maturity in tackling the spinners by utilizing their ft to get to the pitch of the ball, with Pakistan scoring at almost 5 runs an over.

Sri Lanka had come out roaring when tempo bowler Kasun Rajitha obtained Imam-ul-Haq out for one, and Jayasuriya despatched again Abdullah Shafique for 19.

The left-handed Shan Masood hit again as he smashed 39 off 30 balls however fell lbw to Ramesh Mendis, who was denied the wicket by the on-field umpire earlier than Sri Lanka efficiently reviewed.

Azam fell when he obtained an inside edge onto his pads, and the ball looped to quick leg, taken by wicketkeeper Sadeera Samarawickrama.

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De Silva, earlier, moved from his in a single day 94 to register his tenth Test ton in his fiftieth match to bolster Sri Lanka’s place from a shaky 54 for 4 on Sunday.

Pace spearhead Shaheen Afridi, fellow fast Naseem Shah, and leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed ended on three wickets every to bowl out Sri Lanka, and lunch was known as.

The second day’s play started early with revised timings for every of the three classes, and de Silva quickly obtained to his hundred off Shaheen.

De Silva, who smashed 12 fours and three sixes, obtained helpful runs with the decrease order earlier than he lastly fell to Naseem, who struck twice after Pakistan took the second new ball.