Galle, located in Sri Lanka, has recently been the subject of attention due to its rich history and cultural significance. This coastal city is situated on the southwestern tip. During the second day of the rain-affected opening Test, Pakistan was in a challenging position at 101-5. However, thanks to an outstanding partnership between Saud Shakeel and Agha Salman, they recovered and achieved an unbeaten century stand.
Following Sri Lanka’s 312 runs, Pakistan scored 221-5 before the match was interrupted by rain. At this point, the Pakistani team was still trailing by a margin of 91 runs.
Three wickets were claimed by Prabath Jayasuriya, a left-arm spinner from Sri Lanka, with one of the dismissals being that of skipper Babar Azam.
The Sri Lankan batsman, Dhananjaya de Silva, previously scored 122 runs, contributing to the host team’s commendable overall score.
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Pakistan encountered difficulties in their response, but the partnership between Shakeel, who scored 69 runs, and Salman, who scored 61 runs, resulted in a substantial 120-run collaboration. This alliance effectively stabilized the innings and prevented the Sri Lankan spinners from progressing.
The batting combination of Shakeel and Salman, with Shakeel batting left-handed and Salman batting right-handed, effectively balanced caution and aggression in their approach. They collectively scored 12 boundaries and a six.
The batting duo demonstrated a commendable level of expertise in their approach towards the spinners. They effectively utilized footwork techniques to reach the optimal position of the ball’s trajectory. As a result, Pakistan managed to maintain a scoring rate of approximately five runs per over.
In the cricket match, Sri Lanka displayed a strong start as pace bowler Kasun Rajitha successfully dismissed Imam-ul-Haq for a single run. Additionally, Jayasuriya effectively sent Abdullah Shafique back to the pavilion after he had scored 19 runs.
Shan Masood, a left-handed batsman, demonstrated his prowess by scoring 39 runs off 30 balls. However, he was dismissed lbw by Ramesh Mendis. Initially, the on-field umpire did not give the wicket, but Sri Lanka successfully utilized the review system to overturn the decision.
Azam experienced a fall as a result of an inside edge onto his pads, causing the ball to loop toward the short leg position. The wicketkeeper, Sadeera Samarawickrama, successfully took the catch.
In his 50th match, De Silva successfully advanced from his overnight score of 94 to achieve his 10th Test century. This commendable feat significantly strengthened Sri Lanka’s position, as they had initially struggled at a precarious score of 54-4 on Sunday.
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The pace spearhead, Shaheen Shah Afridi, along with his fellow quick, Naseem Shah, and leg-spinner, Abrar Ahmed, took three wickets to successfully dismiss the Sri Lankan team. As a result, the lunch break was called.
On the second day, the play commenced promptly with adjusted timings for each of the three sessions. De Silva efficiently achieved his century off Shaheen’s bowling.
De Silva, who hit 12 fours and three sixes, contributed valuable runs alongside the lower order before eventually being dismissed by Naseem. Naseem took two wickets after Pakistan opted for the second new ball.