In an impressive display of cricket, Pakistan dominated the first day’s play in the second Test match against Sri Lanka at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo on Monday.
Winning the toss and opting to bat first, Sri Lanka struggled and were dismissed for a meager 166 runs in just 48.4 overs. The Pakistani bowlers wreaked havoc, with right-arm mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed leading the charge by claiming four wickets for 69 runs in 20.4 overs. He received valuable support from the talented Naseem Shah, who grabbed three wickets for 41 runs in his 14 overs. Left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi also contributed with a wicket, while the energetic fielding skills of Shan Masood led to the run-out of two Sri Lankan batters.
When Pakistan came out to bat, they faced an early setback as Imam-ul-Haq was dismissed for 6 runs off 6 balls with one boundary. However, Abdullah Shafique and Shan Masood steadied the ship with a brilliant 108-run partnership for the second wicket, displaying an impressive partnership that took just 117 balls. Shan Masood played a fiery innings, scoring 51 runs off 47 balls, including four boundaries and a six.
At the end of the day’s play, Pakistan looked strong at 145 for two in 28.3 overs, although bad light caused the play to be stopped early. Abdullah Shafique remained unbeaten on an outstanding 74 runs off 99 balls, smashing seven boundaries and two sixes. Captain Babar Azam stood beside him with 8 runs off 21 balls, hitting one boundary.
Asitha Fernando was the standout bowler for Sri Lanka, taking two wickets for 41 runs in his spell.
In summary, the first day belonged to Pakistan as they put themselves in a commanding position with a dominant display in both batting and bowling. Sri Lanka faces an uphill task to recover from their low total and challenge Pakistan’s strong position in the upcoming days of the Test match.
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