Bad light cuts short day two as Sri Lanka reach 114-3 in Rawalpindi

RAWALPINDI: Play on the second day of the first Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka was ended 25.5 overs early due to bad light.

At the close, Sri Lanka were 114 for three wickets in their first innings. They need another 320 runs to match Pakistan’s first-innings total and have seven wickets in hand.

Earlier, Pakistan declared their first innings at 434 for nine wickets. Saud Shakeel was the standout batter with 93. Mohammad Tayyab Arif scored 57, Arafat Minhas 52, Mohammad Taha 51, Babar Azam 50, Ghazi Ghori 48, Azan Awais 30, Salman Ali Agha 16 and Raza Ullah 10. Saqib Khan remained not out without scoring.

For Sri Lanka, Asitha Fernando and Dilshan Madushanka took three wickets each, while Milan Rathnayake, Lahiru Kumara and Sonal Dinusha took one wicket each.

In reply, Sri Lanka’s first innings got off to a poor start. At seven runs, opener Pasindu Sooriyabandara was out for a duck, caught behind by wicketkeeper Ghazi Ghori off a delivery from Mohammad Abbas. The second wicket fell at 12, when Dinesh Chandimal was caught at slip by Salman Ali Agha off Saqib Khan for one run.

At 65, the other opener, Lahiru Udara, was out for 42, caught behind by Ghazi Ghori off Saqib Khan. At the close of the second day, Kamindu Mendis was at the crease on 40 and Dhananjaya de Silva on 22.

Saqib Khan took two wickets for Pakistan, while Mohammad Abbas took one.