GALLE, Sri Lanka: Spinners Noman Ali and Abrar Ahmed took three wickets each as Pakistan bowled out Sri Lanka for 279 on Wednesday, leaving the visitors needing 131 runs to win the rain-hit opening Test.
Sri Lanka’s first-innings centurion Dhananjaya de Silva top-scored with 82 before the Pakistan bowlers combined to dismiss the hosts in the final session of the fourth day in Galle.
Left-armer Noman, along with fellow spinners Abrar and Agha Salman — who took two wickets — struck regular blows, while pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi helped clean up the tail.
Pakistan's Noman Ali (2L) celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of Sri Lanka's Nishan Madushka (not pictured) during the fourth day of the first cricket Test match between Sri Lanka and Pakistan at the Galle International Cricket Stadium in Galle on July 19, 2023. (AFP)
De Silva, who scored 122 in Sri Lanka’s first-innings total of 312, built key partnerships including a 76-run seventh-wicket stand with Ramesh Mendis, who made 42.
Shaheen, a left-arm quick, finally got de Silva caught behind with a rising delivery after Pakistan took the second new ball.
Shaheen got his second before Abrar ended the innings.
Salman earlier sent back Dinesh Chandimal for 28 to break a 60-run stand with de Silva and then wicketkeeper-batsman Sadeera Samarawickrama for 11 to put Sri Lanka in trouble but de Silva stood firm.
Abrar struck first with his leg spin to dismiss skipper Dimuth Karunaratne for 20 to check Sri Lanka’s brisk start.
Middle-order batsman Saud Shakeel has remained the star for Pakistan so far with his unbeaten first-innings 208 — his maiden Test double century — in his team’s 461 all out on day three.
Shakeel’s marathon knock gave Pakistan a handy first-innings lead of 149 in a rain-interrupted match. More rain had been predicted for day four but did not materialize.
