Pakistan vs Sri Lanka 1st Test day 2: Pakistan declare on 434-9
Saud Shakeel fell for 93 and debutant Arafat Minhas hit 52 before Babar Azam declared on 434-9. Then Sri Lanka lost two early wickets in Rawalpindi.
Pakistan declared their first innings on 434 for nine on Tuesday, 10 November, the second day of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi. Saud Shakeel missed his hundred by seven runs, and by mid-afternoon Sri Lanka had already lost two wickets in reply.
This follows our day one report, when Pakistan closed on 281 for five after bad light.
How did Pakistan get to 434?
Pakistan resumed with Shakeel on 57 and added steadily through the morning. By lunch they were 390 for six, according to the Associated Press. Debutant Ghazi Ghori made 48 off 72 balls before he was caught by Pasindu Sooriyabandara off Dilshan Madushanka.
Shakeel was the anchor again. He batted 199 balls for 93, Dawn reported, and was out with the century in sight. For a batter whose game is built on patience, it was a frustrating end to a very good innings.
The late push came from Arafat Minhas, another player on Test debut, who hit 52 off 72 balls. That made five half-centuries in the innings, three of them by debutants (Tayyab Arif, Mohammad Taha and Minhas), Samaa noted. Captain Babar Azam declared after 106.3 overs.
For Sri Lanka, fast bowlers Asitha Fernando and Dilshan Madushanka took three wickets each, Samaa reported. Sri Lanka’s captain Kusal Mendis had chosen to bowl first after winning the toss on Monday.
How did Sri Lanka start their reply?
Badly. Pakistan struck twice early: Muhammad Abbas and debutant Saqib Khan removed Sooriyabandara and the experienced Dinesh Chandimal, 24 News reported. A live scorecard update showed Sri Lanka on 37 for two, still almost 400 behind.
Why this Test matters
Pakistan picked a young side for this series, and the bet is paying off so far: every new batter got runs in the first innings. A first-innings lead of 300 or more would give Pakistan the option of asking Sri Lanka to follow on, and three full days remain.
What to watch on day three
Whether Pakistan’s bowlers, led by Abbas, can keep taking wickets on Wednesday morning, and whether captain Kusal Mendis can lead a Sri Lankan fightback from the middle order. The second Test is in Lahore, where tickets are already on sale.
