Dhananjaya de Silva and captain Kusal Mendis shared an unbroken 249-run stand to take Sri Lanka to 404/4 at stumps on the third day of the first Test against Pakistan at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.
Sri Lanka trail Pakistan’s first-innings 434/9 declared by 30 runs with six wickets in hand.
Sri Lanka resumed on 114/3, with de Silva on 22 and Kamindu Mendis on 40. The visitors reached 221/4 at lunch, with de Silva unbeaten on 87.
Mohammad Abbas removed Kamindu for 58 off 131 balls, with eight fours, when Sri Lanka stood at 155/4 in the 42nd over. Ghazi Ghori took the catch behind the stumps. Kusal then joined de Silva, and Pakistan could not break the stand for the rest of the day.
De Silva finished on 167 not out off 241 balls, with 20 fours. Kusal made 117 not out off 188 balls, with 10 fours and four sixes. Kusal is leading Sri Lanka in Tests for the first time.
Abbas bowled the tightest spell for Pakistan, taking 2/64 in 29 overs with 11 maidens. Saqib Khan took 2/105 in 26 overs. Debutant Arafat Minhas went wicketless for 92 runs in 21 overs, and Razaullah conceded 127 runs in 23 overs without a wicket. Salman Ali Agha bowled three overs for nine runs.
Sri Lanka lost their top three on day two. Saqib dismissed Lahiru Udara for 42 and Dinesh Chandimal for 1, and Abbas removed Pasindu Sooriyabandara for a duck.
Pakistan declared on the second day after Saud Shakeel made 93 and five batters scored half-centuries, including three debutants. Tayyab Arif made 57, Babar Azam 50, Mohammad Taha 51 and Minhas 52.
