Sri Lanka scored more than 300 runs despite Pakistan getting six wickets on the first day of the second Test match at the Galle International Stadium. Pakistan bowlers had to sweat it out to get wickets on the bowling-friendly pitch as Sri Lanka posted 315/6 in just 86 overs on Day 1. At the end of the day, star Pakistani all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz stated that the bowlers didn’t get much help from the pitch as expected and Pakistan let the hosts score a little bit too much.

Pakistan managed to chase a record-breaking 342-run target on Day 5 of the first Test match at the same venue. Nawaz took five wickets in the second innings and remained unbeaten on 19 runs at the end of the chase. As expected, the pitch proved heaven for the spin bowlers in the first match but it was not the same case on Sunday (July 24) in the second and final fixture of this series. Sri Lankan batters looked strong playing against the likes of Yasir Shah and Nawaz from the start of the innings.

“I think we let them score a little bit too much. The pitch isn’t like the first Test; it wasn’t turning and the pitch was slow. I think we would have been better served by squeezing the score rather than attacking. Because the pitch was very slow and the wickets weren’t coming as easily, you needed to work especially hard for them. So if we’d restricted their score, perhaps the wickets would have come easier,” Mohammad Nawaz said at the end of day one.

Mohammad Nawaz defends skipper Babar Azam

Pakistani fielders came under scrutiny once again for dropping a few easy catches on Day 1. Skipper Babar Azam, who is an excellent fielder, dropped two catches and Hasan Ali dropped another. The scoreboard would have been entirely different had those catches not been dropped. While Nawaz feels that it’s rare to see Babar dropping catches, he defended his skipper, saying that anyone can make errors.

The first day of the second Test match between Sri Lanka and Pakistan saw the hosts showcasing a spirited performance on an otherwise eventful day that saw them post well in excess of 300 runs on the board. While the Pakistani bowlers showed great enthusiasm in accounting for more than half of the Lankan side, they failed to contain their middle-order in the last half-an-hour of the day’s play.

Sri Lanka have wicketkeeper-batter Niroshan Dickwella to thank as his vital knock ensured that the hosts did not suffer any further damage and he single-handedly took the attack on the Pakistani bowlers. Dickwella found good support in Dunith Wellalage (6*) who showed great determination in holding on to the other end firmly like a rock.

Sri Lanka dominate on the first day

Sri Lanka skipper Dimuth Karunaratne won the toss and elected to bat first. The hosts got off to a good start with Karunaratne and Oshada Fernando adding 92 runs for the opening stand before the latter was dismissed for 50. Karunaratne scored 40 and looked to rebuild the innings along with Angelo Mathews before he was dismissed.

When Mathews was sent back for a well-made 42, Sri Lanka were in a spot of bother at 195/4 before the middle-order duo of Dinesh Chandimal and Dhananjaya de Silva carried out the rescue act adding 63 runs for the fifth-wicket stand. Chandimal showcased yet another consistence performance scoring 80 runs off 137 balls and found good support in Dhananjaya who contributed with 33.

When the duo was dismissed, it opened up the floodgates for the visitors to make a comeback, but before they could rattle the rest of the batting lineup, Niroshan Dickwella challenged them and ensured that the Lankans lost no more wickets for the rest of the day. He and Dunith Wellalage made the Pakistani bowlers toil hard for wickets. While Dickwella played some smart cricket and also attacked when the situation demanded, Dunith showcased his defensive abilities by refusing to allow the bowlers to breach his defense. Sri Lanka’s scorecard read 315/6 at stumps with Niroshan Dickwella unbeaten on 42.

Here is how Twitter reacted to play on day one between Sri Lanka and Pakistan

Not a good day of bowling for @TheRealPCB .#PAKvsSL #fawadalam #SLvPAK #CricketTwitter #Trending #testcricket #BabarAzam𓃵 https://t.co/wpNARCZ2HG

— Najaf Abbas (@NajafAbbas___) July 24, 2022

"I do not Blame Babar Azam. The PCB is supporting him to learn captaincy on-the-job"

▪️ The Lankan Ball
▪️ The Dropped Dollies
▪️ Hasan Ali's 2022 is costing 56 runs/wicket
▪️ Yasir's farewell?#PAKvsSL #SLvPAK #PAKvSL #SLvsPAK #SriLanka #Pakistan pic.twitter.com/fbdsLSRPGg

— Hashim Malik (@hached) July 24, 2022

Pakistan scalp three wickets in the final session and Sri Lanka finishes the day 1 on 315/6 #SLvPAK

— 🅒🅡🅘︎🅒︎🄲🅁🄰🅉🅈𝗠𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗨™ 🇮🇳❤️ (@MSDianMrigu) July 24, 2022

2 Catches Kya Drop Hue Babar Azam ke Seasonal Fans Bahar niklna Shuru Hogaye 🌚#BabarAzam #SLvPAK #PAKvsSL

— Ayemanmalik01🇵🇰 (@Ayemanmalik01) July 24, 2022

Over All is not a Good Day for Pak Team 😩 but it's okay .. Insha'Allah ♥️ they guys will come back Stronger 🥺❤️🇵🇰#BabarAzam #PAKvsSL #SLvPAK #Hassanali #Cricket pic.twitter.com/4Vs3tfb1uQ

— Ayemanmalik01🇵🇰 (@Ayemanmalik01) July 24, 2022

#SLvPAK pic.twitter.com/x5PXbIDd1g

— Mudaser Chaudhary (@MudaserChaudha1) July 24, 2022

Scoring for fun from last 10-12 months,
Ignored by selectors ,Led Derbyshire to knockouts ,Called into squad .Doesn't plays a single test @DennisCricket_ your man still smiling
☹️😔#SLvPAK #BabarAzam #shanmasood pic.twitter.com/NPmGssXVAQ

— Abdullah Suلtan (@ImAbdullahs56) July 24, 2022

Stumps

END OF OVER 86
4 runs
SL: 315/6
CRR: 3.66
DN Wellalage
6 (9)
N Dickwella
42 (43)
Naseem Shah
12-3-34-1
Hasan Ali
12-3-45-0#SLvPAK

— HBL PSL Videos (@HBLPSLVIDEOS) July 24, 2022

Mamlaat thore sangeen hai..
Not a bad day for Pakistan in terms of wickets I guess but runs will cause issues tomorrow..
Few dropped opportunities and a bad review..
It won't be an easy test match for Pakistan..
Sri Lanka really did well!#SLvPAK

— iinkiix (@iinkix) July 24, 2022

Back benchers when the invigilator looks away #SLvPAK pic.twitter.com/8ZCqh2KeJ5

— 𝓢𝓮𝓱𝓻𝓲𝓼𝓱 🇵🇰 (@itsmeSehrish) July 24, 2022

SL vs PAK Team Previews:

Sri Lanka (SL) will face the challenge of Pakistan (PAK) in the second fixture of the bilateral Test series at Galle. The first red-ball match witnessed Pakistan winning the game by four wickets. After taking a lead of four runs in the first innings, Sri Lanka set a target of 342 for the visitors. However, Pakistan’s batters were clinical to successfully chase down the highest-ever total at this venue.

In this game, Pathum Nissanka can replace Oshada Fernando, while Lakshitha Manasinghe is likely to make his debut in place of injured Maheesh Theekshana in Sri Lanka’s XI.

Pakistan will miss the services of Shaheen Afridi due to a knee injury, and Haris Rauf can replace him in the line-up.

Match Details:

Pakistan vs Sri Lanka, 2nd Test

Venue: Galle International Stadium, Galle

Date & Time: 24th July-28th July at 10:00 AM IST and Local Time

Live Streaming: Sony Sports Network and Sony LIV

SL vs PAK, 2nd Test, Pitch Report:

The pitch is expected to continue its assistance to the spinners in opposing the batters to post a big score on the board. It will be relatively easy against the pacers, and the teams would look to follow a balanced approach. A total of around 300 should be a good score for both teams.

Injury News:

• Maheesh Theekshana has sustained a hand injury and will be unavailable for this game.
• Shaheen Afridi will not be a part of this fixture due to a knee injury.

Also Read: Legends League Cricket Season 2 to be played in India instead of Oman

SL vs PAK, 2nd Test, Probable Playing XIs:

Sri Lanka:

Oshada Fernando/ Pathum Nissanka, Dimuth Karunaratne (c), Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dinesh Chandimal, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Ramesh Mendis, Lakshitha Manasinghe, Prabath Jayasuriya, Kasun Rajitha

Pakistan:

Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Azhar Ali, Babar Azam (c), Agha Salman, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Yasir Shah, Hasan Ali, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah

Top Picks for SL vs PAK Dream11 Match:

Top Picks – Batters

Babar Azam:

The seasoned campaigner was again the best batter for the Pakistan team. He scored a total of 174 runs and helped the team to cross the line.

Abdullah Shafique:

The talented youngster was terrific in delivering an unbeaten innings of 160 in the first Test and will be one of the best picks for your fantasy team.

Top Picks – All-Rounders

Mohammad Nawaz:

He scalped a total of six wickets and contributed 24 runs with the willow in the first red-ball fixture of the series.

Top Picks – Bowlers

Yasir Shah:

The experienced spinner was impressive with his stock deliveries to pick up five wickets in the first Test.

Prabath Jayasuriya:

He has been in sensational form with his wicket-taking abilities. He picked up nine wickets in the first game.

Top Picks – Wicketkeeper

Dinesh Chandimal:

Sri Lanka’s key batter Chandimal returned with knocks of 74 and 94* in the first Test, and will look to be the key run-scorers once again in this Test match.

SL vs PAK Must Picks Dream11 Fantasy Cricket:

Suggested Playing XI No.1 for SL vs PAK Dream11 Fantasy Cricket:

Kusal Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal (vc), Imam Ul Haq, Dimuth Karunaratne, Babar Azam (c), Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Nawaz, Dhananjaya de Silva, Yasir Shah, Hasan Ali, Prabath Jayasuriya

Suggested Playing XI No.2 for SL vs PAK Dream11 Fantasy Cricket:

Kusal Mendis, Mohammad Rizwan, Dinesh Chandimal, Abdullah Shafique (c), Babar Azam, Angelo Mathews, Mohammad Nawaz, Ramesh Mendis, Yasir Shah, Hasan Ali, Prabath Jayasuriya (vc)

SL vs PAK Risky Captaincy Choices:

Mohammad Rizwan:

Although Rizwan contributed 59 in the first game, he has been inconsistent in the longest format.

Dimuth Karunaratne:

SL skipper is in bad form and has not been able to convert starts into big innings. He could only score 17 runs in the first Test.

Players you should avoid:

Azhar Ali:

Azhar might be given a miss in your fantasy team in this game. He has been struggling in international cricket and has only 9 runs to his name.

Note: Updated Fantasy teams and Playing XIs of every match will be provided in our Telegram channel if the information is available.

Disclaimer: This team is based on the understanding, analysis, and instinct of the author. While selecting your team, consider the points mentioned and make your own decision.

Preview:

Sri Lanka and Pakistan will lock horns in the second match of the Test series on Sunday. Pakistan won the opening match of the series after registering a record 4th innings chase courtesy a mammoth knock by Abdullah Shafique. It was a very competitive match and the hosts will definitely hope to come back stronger in this match.

Match Details:

Sri Lanka vs Pakistan, Match 2

Venue: Galle International Stadium, Galle

Date & Time: 24th July-28th July at 10:00 AM IST and Local Time

Live Streaming: Sony Sports Network and Sony LIV

SL vs PAK, Match 2 Pitch Report:

This will be a typical surface with batting getting tougher as the day progresses and spinners will have a big role at this venue. Both teams will look to bat first.

Injury News:

(will be added when there is an update)

Also read: My main aim is to help India win the Asia Cup and the World Cup: Virat Kohli

SL vs PAK, Match 2, Probable Playing XIs:

Sri Lanka

Pakistan

Abdullah Shafique, Imam ul Haq, Azhar Ali, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Agha Salman, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Nawaz, Yasir Shah, Hasan Ali, Naseem Shah

Top Picks for SL vs PAK 11Wickets Fantasy Cricket:

Imam ul Haq has scored 892 runs in 15 matches at an average of 35 and can be backed to do well here

Angelo Mathews will be playing his 100th Test match and has a stellar record in this format having amassed 6876 runs at an average of 45.

Ramesh Mendis has picked up 37 wickets in 9 Test matches and can be a good option to have for this match.

Suggested Playing XI No.1 for SL vs PAK 11Wickets Fantasy Cricket:

D Chandimal, K Mendis, D Karunaratne, Abdullah Shafique, Imam ul Haq, Babar Azam, M Nawaz (c), D Silva (vc), K Rajitha, Prabath Jayasuriya, Yasir Shah

Suggested Playing XI No.2 for SL vs PAK 11Wickets Fantasy Cricket:

D Chandimal (vc), M Rizwan, D Karunaratne, Abdullah Shafique, A Mathews, Babar Azam (c), M Nawaz, D Silva, Hasan Ali, Prabath Jayasuriya, Yasir Shah

Captain and Vice-Captain Options:

Captain Options: M Nawaz, B Azam

Vice-Captain Options: De Silva, D Chandimal

Note: Updated Fantasy teams and Playing XIs of every match will be provided on our Telegram channel if the information is available.

Disclaimer: This team is based on the understanding, analysis, and instinct of the author. While selecting your team, consider the points mentioned and make your own decision.

Pakistan completed a famous victory against Sri Lanka in the first Test match in Galle, completing their second-highest chase of 342. Their highest successful chase of 377 also came against Sri Lanka in 2015 in Pallekele. Meanwhile, the second Test of the series is set to begin on Sunday in Galle.

Sri Lanka recently managed to draw the Test series 1-1 against the Australia, winning the final game by an innings and 39 runs. They would need a similar kind of performance against Babar Azam’s side to bounce back in the series.

For Pakistan, it was their 22-year-old opener Abdullah Shafique who starred with the bat and steered the chase for the visitors in the first game. He scored an unbeaten 160 off 408 balls and saw off the chase. Skipper Babar also played his part in the game scoring 119 in the first innings and 55 in the second.

Pitch and Conditions

The last three Test matches hosted by Sri Lanka have been in Galle, and this will be the fourth. It generally offers turn right from Day 1 and gets more and more challenging going into Day 4 and Day 5. The wicket is dusty and the ball could turn square from Day 3. The team winning the toss must elect to bat first and make the most when the pitch is suitable for batting.

Playing Combinations for SL vs PAK

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka has gone with more or less the same lineup in their last three Test matches. Batter Pathum Nissanka has recovered from Covid-19 but might miss out on the playing XI as opener Oshada Fernando performed well in the first match. Off-spinner Lakshitha Manasinghe has replaced Maheesh Theekshana in the squad for the second game and could make his debut.

Predicted XI: Oshada Fernando, Dimuth Karunaratne (c), Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Dhananjaya de Silva, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Ramesh  Mendis, Prabhath Jayasuriya, Lakshitha Manasinghe, Kasun Rajitha

Pakistan

Pakistan would have wanted to stick with the winning combination, however, their bowling spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi is ruled out of the Test match due to a knee injury. Pacer Harees Rauf is likely to replace Afridi.

Predicted Playing XI: Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Azhar Ali, Babar Azam (c), Mohamad Rizwan (wk), Agha Salman, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Yasir Shah, Hasan Ali, Naseem Shah

SL vs PAK Head to Head

Played – 56 | Sri Lanka – 16 | Pakistan – 21 | Draw – 19

SL vs PAK Broadcast Details

Match Date & Timings – July 24-28 & 10:00 AM

Broadcast Details – Sony Sports Network, Sony LIV

The women’s cricket action is set to be back with the Commonwealth Games 2022 getting underway on the 28th of July. The top eight teams will clash for a gold medal at the tournament that will be played in the T20 format and the teams have been divided into two groups with four teams in each group.

Australia Women, Barbados Women, India Women and Pakistan Women have been categorised into Group A while England Women, New Zealand Women, South Africa Women and Sri Lanka Women have been categorised in Group B. Harmanpreet Kaur will lead Team India while Smriti Mandhana is her deputy.

The matches will commence with the first game between Australia and India on July 29 at the Edgbaston ground in Birmingham while Barbados and Pakistan will take on each other in the second game of the day. The gold medal match will take place on August 7.

Here’s all you need to know about the tournament:

Commonwealth Games 2022

Squads

India Women: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Taniya Bhatia (wk), Yastika Bhatia (wk), Harleen Deol, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Sabbhineni Meghana, Sneh Rana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Meghna Singh, Renuka Singh, Pooja Vastrakar, Shafali Verma, Radha Yadav.

Pakistan Women: Bismah Maroof (c), Muneeba Ali (wk), Anam Amin, Aiman Anwer, Diana Baig, Nida Dar, Gull Feroza (wk), Tuba Hassan, Kainat Imtiaz, Sadia Iqbal, Iram Javed, Ayesha Naseem, Aliya Riaz, Fatima Sana, Omaima Sohail.

Australia Women: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Grace Harris, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Amanda-Jade Wellington.

England Women: Heather Knight (c), Nat Sciver (vc), Maia Bouchier, Katherine Brunt, Alice Capsey, Kate Cross, Freya Davies, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Sarah Glenn, Amy Jones, Freya Kemp, Bryony Smith, Issy Wong, Danni Wyatt.

Barbados Women: Hayley Matthews (c), Aaliyah Alleyne, Shanika Bruce, Shai Carrington, Shaunte Carrington, Shamilia Connell, Deandra Dottin, Keila Elliott, Trishan Holder, Kycia Knight, Kyshona Knight, Alisa Scantlebury, Shakera Selman, Tiffany Thorpe, Aaliyah Williams.

New Zealand Women: Sophie Devine (c), Suzie Bates, Eden Carson, Izzy Gaze, Claudia Green, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Hayley Jensen, Fran Jonas, Amelia Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Jess McFadyen, Georgia Plimmer, Hannah Rowe, Lea Tahuhu.

South Africa Women: Suné Luus (c), Anneke Bosch, Trisha Chetty, Lara Goodall, Sinalo Jafta, Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Nadine de Klerk, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Mignon du Preez, Tumi Sekhukhune, Shabnim Ismail, Chloe Tryon, Laura Wolvaardt.

Sri Lanka Women: Chamari Athapaththu (c), Nilakshi de Silva, Kavisha Dilhari, Vishmi Gunaratne, Ama Kanchana, Achini Kulasuriya, Sugandika Kumari, Hasini Perera, Udeshika Prabodhani, Oshadi Ranasinghe, Inoka Ranaweera, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Anushka Sanjeewani, Malsha Shehani, Rashmi Silva.

Schedule (All timings in IST)

July 29, Friday

Australia Women vs India Women, 4:30 pm

Barbados Women vs Pakistan Women, 11:30 pm

July 30, Saturday

New Zealand Women vs South Africa Women, 4:30 pm

England Women vs Sri Lanka Women, 11:30 pm

July 31, Sunday

India Women vs Pakistan Women, 4:30 pm

Australia Women vs Barbados Women, 11:30 pm

August 2, Tuesday

England Women vs South Africa Women, 4:30 pm

New Zealand Women vs Sri Lanka Women, 11:30 pm

August 3, Wednesday

Australia Women vs Pakistan Women, 4:30 pm

Barbados Women vs India Women, 11:30 pm

August 4, Thursday

South Africa Women vs Sri Lanka Women, 4:30 pm

England Women vs New Zealand Women, 11:30 pm

August 6, Saturday

1st semi-final, 4:30 pm

2nd semi-final, 11:30 pm

August 7, Sunday

Bronze medal match, 2:30 pm

Gold medal match, 10:30 pm

Live Streaming and Broadcasting details

Sony Sports network will broadcast the cricket matches of the Commonwealth Games 2022 live on television. Live streaming will be available on the SonyLIV app.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has confirmed that star pacer Shaheen Afridi won’t be a part of the second and final Test match against Sri Lanka. Afridi, who ranks fourth on the ICC Test bowlers’ chart, suffered a knee injury in the first match at Galle on day four. He left the field and it was thought of as a minor injury. But now the player is set to miss the second match which is a big blow for Pakistan. He will be gutted to miss the second match as he is just one wicket away from reaching the milestone of 100 Test wickets.

The 22-year-old speedster was crucial in Pakistan’s historic win in the first match. He took four wickets for 58 in 14.1 overs to bowl out the hosts for just 222 runs in the first innings but was restricted to just seven overs after discomfort in the right knee on day four. He was spotted having an icepack wrapped to his knee and reportedly went through an MRI scan later. PCB has confirmed that the player will be staying in Sri Lanka and will be under the supervision of Pakistan’s medical team.

Test cricket has seen a lot of surprises in the last few months as fourth innings totals have been chased down by teams constantly. Recently, England won the rescheduled fifth Test against India with a record run chase in the fourth innings and prior to that, completed three brilliant run chases against New Zealand as well. Such has been the mode of approach from the batters in the current era that nothing seems impossible at the moment.

To add to the point, Pakistan opener Abdullah Shafique put on a stellar show at the top of the order and his unbeaten 160 off 408 deliveries won the Test for the visitors against Sri Lanka. And, the team celebrated their fine victory with a special cake cutting session. Chasing 342 to win in the final innings always looked like a huge task with Sri Lanka’s Prabath Jayasuriya picking up nine wickets in the Test.

However, an inspired effort from the Pakistan batting lineup, led by Azam who scored a century in the first innings and a half-century in the second innings, produced a record run chase at the venue. The 22-year-old Shafique has already won the hearts of Pakistani fans and looks promising for the future. No wonder, Pakistan decided to celebrate the victory with a special cake at Galle.

Here’s the video of the Pakistan team celebrating the victory

In the video, Azam and his teammates were all near a beach and the hero of the first Test, Shafique was encouraged to cut the cake by the team. Shafique was quite happy to share the slices with his mates while Hasan Ali also stepped in from the other side during the celebration. Skipper Azam looked quite delighted during the celebration and the victory is expected to be etched in the memories for a long time.

Pakistan have taken a 1-0 lead in the two-match Test series and they will fancy their chances of winning the series with one more Test to go. The second Test starts on the 24th of July at the same venue, Galle International Stadium.

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has reportedly confirmed that it is not in a position to host the upcoming Asia Cup 2022 due to the ongoing political and economic crisis in the country. SLC expressed its inability to the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) regarding hosting the big event, scheduled to be played from August 27 to September 11.

Sri Lanka is going through its worst-ever economic crisis, and the last few months have witnessed countless protests against the ruling government by the masses of the country. Even eminent cricketers like Sanath Jayasuriya, Kumar Sangakkara, and Mahela Jayawardene have come forward and raised their voices on the worrisome situation in the island nation.

Sri Lanka likely to consult UAE

“As per Sri Lankan media, the SLC informed the ACC about its decision, maintaining that it is ‘not in a position’ to organize the Asia Cup cricket tournament in the country due to the current political and economic situation of the country,” read a report as quoted by The Nation.

The report further adds, “A decision to hold the event in the United Arab Emirates hasn’t been finalised yet. The venue could, however, be any Asian country, including India. Sri Lanka will reportedly consult the UAE Cricket Board, requesting to provide a venue where it can host the event”.

The decision comes just days after the third edition of the highly-anticipated Lanka Premier League (LPL) was forced to be postponed due to the ongoing crisis in Sri Lanka. It was scheduled to take place from August 21.

With Sri Lanka pulling out at the last minute, it remains to be seen which venue will be finalised by the ACC to organise the tournament. Meanwhile, this year’s Asia Cup will be played in the T20 format as a dress rehearsal for the T20 World Cup down under in October-November. This will be the second time after 2016 that the tournament will be played in a 20-over format.

Pakistan completed a sensational victory in the first Test match against Sri Lanka in Galle. The visitors registered the highest chase at the venue as Abdullah Shafique starred for Pakistan with a sensational batting display on a tricky surface. The Pakistani batter received praise from his skipper Babar Azam after the match, labeling his show classy

When Sri Lanka set a target of 342 on a challenging surface at Galle, they were the outright favourites to clinch the series opener with almost two days remaining in the match. But Test cricket has recently seen a trend of teams chasing relatively high scores in the fourth innings, and Pakistan contributed to that trend.

Shafique came to the fore for the visitors and remained unbeaten on 160, shouldering his team to an unprecedented victory. His 101-run stand with skipper Babar was crucial for the side as the pair frustrated the Sri Lankan bowlers with their impeccable technique against the spinners. The young skipper lavished praise on the batter along with young Naseem Shah, who showed tremendous grit in the first innings in a partnership of 70 runs for the tenth wicket with his captain.

“First innings we did well with the ball. I should thank the tailenders for the support they gave me, especially Naseem Shah. We know how to play spin, so we believed. I and Abdullah were just trying to build a partnership. As a youngster, he is showing a lot of class. It is really pleasing to see him perform well,” Babar said in the post-match press conference.

I enjoyed batting with him in the middle: Abdullah Shafique on his partnership with Babar

Meanwhile, the man of the moment, Shafique, revealed his experience in the middle and congratulated all his teammates. He also stated the threat the Sri Lankan spinners posed with the new ball, which was assisting them with extra bounce and sharp turn. Pakistan were in a spot of bother in the latter stages of the chase, but the youngster showed nerves of steel and guided the team to an impressive victory in the series opener.

“I am happy that we were able to chase. Congratulations to the entire team for this record chase. Our plan was simple, we had to go and get the runs. It wasn’t easy (to bat) but with time it was easier. Spinners with the new ball were slightly tough to play. Babar is one of the best in the world. We have learned so much from him. I enjoyed batting with him in the middle,” said the young batter.