In a dominating display, Pakistan’s opener Abdullah Shafique scored a sensational double century, while Agha Salman’s unbeaten 132 also contributed significantly to Pakistan’s strong position on the third day of the second Test against Sri Lanka.
At the end of the day’s play, the tourists had amassed an impressive 563-5 in their first innings at Colombo’s Sinhalese Sports Club, setting a formidable lead of 397 runs over Sri Lanka. After Shafique’s departure on 201, Salman and concussion substitute Mohammad Rizwan showed excellent partnership and were batting at 37 and 95 respectively.
Salman played with an attacking spirit, reflecting Pakistan’s new aggressive approach in this series, and he reached his second Test century with a boundary, marking a noteworthy milestone in his career.
Abdullah Shafique led the charge with an outstanding response to Sri Lanka’s first-innings score of 166, forming three century partnerships, including a remarkable 124-run partnership with Salman.
Starting the day at 87, Shafique displayed resilience and focus to reach the double century in the final session, celebrating the achievement by pointing to his name on the back of his jersey after scoring a single off Asitha Fernando.
However, his brilliant innings eventually came to an end when he was caught out at deep mid-off by left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya. Earlier in the day, Jayasuriya had also dismissed the Pakistan skipper Babar Azam for 39, further showcasing his bowling prowess.
Fernando, the fast bowler, also made significant contributions by taking three wickets, including ending Saud Shakeel’s innings on 57 during the afternoon session, thereby breaking a 109-run partnership with Shafique.
Unfortunately, during his knock, wicketkeeper-batsman Sarfaraz Ahmed suffered a blow on his helmet from Fernando’s delivery, causing him to feel dizzy and retire hurt after making 14 runs. He was later substituted by Rizwan, who joined Salman at the crease and continued Pakistan’s impressive batting performance.
Shafique not only surpassed 150 for the second time against Sri Lanka but also went past his previous Test best of 160 not out, displaying his exceptional form and consistency.
The third day’s play began with a delay due to rain on the previous day, with Pakistan resuming their innings at 178-2. Despite the slow start, Shafique quickly gained momentum and went on to score two consecutive boundaries off Fernando before eventually reaching his well-deserved century.
Babar Azam, Pakistan’s captain, contributed 11 runs to his overnight score of 28 before being dismissed lbw by Jayasuriya, who showcased his skill and endurance by bowling unchanged from one end during the first session.
Read more: Pakistan Defeats Sri Lanka by 4 Wickets in 1st Test
Pakistan’s commanding performance in the first Test of the two-match series, where they secured a victory by four wickets, seems to have set the tone for their aggressive approach in the second Test as well. With a substantial lead and strong batting performances, Pakistan is well placed to further assert their dominance in the remaining days of the Test match against Sri Lanka.
