Debutants contribute as Pakistan tighten grip on Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi

Pakistan tightened their grip on the opening Test against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi on Tuesday, extending a first-innings lead to 320 runs with seven wickets still in hand at the close of Day 2. The hosts declared on 434-9 and fielded four debutants, three of whom registered half-centuries.

Saud Shakeel narrowly missed a century, falling for 93 after more than five and a half hours at the crease. He had a composed 193-ball innings and his dismissal left him seven runs short of his first Test hundred since scoring one against England in 2024.

Sri Lanka were 114-3 at stumps after Pakistan’s new-ball bowlers struck early; Mohammad Abbas and debutant Saqib Khan reduced the visitors to 12-2. Saqib finished with figures of 2-54, while Abbas provided one of the initial breakthroughs.

In his first Test, Saqib removed Dinesh Chandimal when a ball that squared up the right-hander took the edge. Earlier, Abbas had dismissed Pasindu Sooriyabandara for a duck after the opener had been promoted to the top of the order.

Lahiru Udara offered the main resistance with 42, hitting seven boundaries before Saqib returned to dismiss him following a reprieve in the field. Kamindu Mendis and Dhananjaya de Silva then put together an unbeaten 49-run partnership for the fourth wicket; Mendis was 40 and de Silva 22 when bad light forced an early close.

Pakistan added 153 to their overnight 281-5 as Shakeel anchored the innings and put together significant stands with wicketkeeper Ghazi Ghori, who made 48, and Arafat Minhas, who scored 52. Minhas’ was a maiden Test half-century and included nine fours and a six.

Asitha Fernando was Sri Lanka’s most successful bowler with 3-107 and reached the milestone of 100 Test wickets. Nearly 26 overs were lost on Tuesday due to bad light, the second successive day to finish prematurely.

Pakistan remain firmly in control heading into Day 3.