Sri Lanka moved to within 30 runs of Pakistan’s first-innings total on the third day of the opening Test at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Wednesday. Dhananjaya de Silva and captain Kusal Mendis both struck unbeaten centuries before bad light brought an early end to play.
At the close, Sri Lanka were 404-4 after 102 overs, with De Silva on 167 and Kusal on 117. Their unbroken partnership of more than 200 runs put the visitors in a strong position heading into the fourth day. De Silva’s innings was his 14th Test century, while Kusal’s was his 11th and came in his first match as Test captain.
Kusal Mendis and De Silva build unbroken 200-run stand
Sri Lanka’s recovery started earlier in the day, when De Silva and Kamindu Mendis steadied the innings with a 90-run partnership. Kamindu made 58 off 131 deliveries, hitting eight boundaries, before Mohammad Abbas dismissed him. Sri Lanka were 155-4 after 42 overs at that point.
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De Silva continued the repair work, bringing up his 21st Test half-century before building the decisive stand with Kusal. Kusal reached his 24th Test half-century before going on to complete his hundred.
Early Sri Lanka wickets and Pakistan’s first-innings total
Sri Lanka had struggled at the start of the second day, losing two wickets for 12 runs while resuming their first innings. Abbas removed opener Pasindu Sooriyabandara for a seven-ball duck. Debutant Saqib Khan then claimed his first international wicket by dismissing Dinesh Chandimal for one off three deliveries.
Lahiru Udara and Kamindu added 50 runs to stabilise the innings, but Saqib struck again to remove Udara for 42 off 52 balls, including seven boundaries. That left Sri Lanka at 65-3 after 16.5 overs.
Earlier, Pakistan had posted 434-9 in 106.3 overs in their first innings. Saud Shakeel top-scored with 93 off 199 deliveries, and several other batters contributed:
- Tayyab Arif: 57 off 51 balls
- Arafat Minhas: 52
- Mohammad Taha: 51
- Captain Babar Azam: 50
- Muhammad Ghazi Ghori: 48
For Sri Lanka, Dilshan Madushanka and Asitha Fernando each claimed three wickets.
Pakistan’s revamped squad faces first Test since England tour
The opening match is part of a two-match series, with the second Test scheduled to begin on November 17 at the same stadium. The series is Pakistan’s first Test assignment since their 3-0 defeat in England, which led to significant changes in the national set-up.
Seven players were sent home after the second Test in England. Head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul were dismissed in September, and white-ball coach Mike Hesson was later brought into the Test set-up.
Ahead of the series, Babar said he was confident in the revamped squad and that Pakistan were ready to move forward with younger players. He pointed to the chances given to new players during the England tour. “During the England series we had planned to give new players a chance, so I am ready to fight with these young players,” Azam said.
