Abdullah Shafique was man of the hour and stood unbeaten on 158. Due to his knock, Pakistan became the first team to chase a 300-plus target at Galle successfully.
Babar Azam scored a century in the first innings and also a crucial half-century in the second. (Source: AP)
It was a fight down to the wire in the first Sri Lanka vs Pakistan Test. From Prabath Jayasuriya’s nail-biting overs on the final day to the match being delayed by rain; this game had it all. Pakistan ultimately won the fixture by 4 wickets, to go 1-0 up in the 2-Test series.
Abdullah Shafique was man of the hour and stood unbeaten on 158. Due to his knock, Pakistan became the first team to chase a 300-plus target at Galle successfully.
In the first innings at Galle, Sri Lanka could manage to put 222 on the scoreboard. Dinesh Chandimal was the top scorer with 74 runs to his name.
As for Pakistan, barring skipper Babar Azam, none of their batters could click. Azam scored 119 off 244 before he was dismissed by mystery spinner Maheesh Theekshana. Prabath Jayasuriya continued his good run from the last Test against Australia and scalped 5 wickets in the first innings. He became the first Sri Lankan to take five-wickets in the first three innings after his Test debut.
The hosts then batted their way to 337, with Oshada Fernando, Dinesh Chandimal and Kusal Mendis getting half-centuries. In response, opener Abdullah Shafique managed to score over 150 runs and keep Pakistan in the chase. Babar Azam claimed another half-century for the record books before he was dismissed by Jayasuriya.
Here is how Twitter reacted to the nail-biting game:
Pakistan Cricket Board posted a snippet of an earlier interview by Shafique and praised him for a job well done.
The International Cricket Council called it an “incredible victory” for the Babar Azam-led squad.
Sri Lanka Cricket board also congratulated the visitors on their incredible win.
Ex-Sri Lanka cricketer Russel Arnold called it a “chase to remember”.
Here are some more reactions:
Pakistan will square off against Sri Lanka for the second time on 24 July. The Test, which was earlier scheduled to be played in Colombo, has now been shifted to Galle International Stadium as well.
Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Find latest and upcoming tech gadgets online on Tech2 Gadgets. Get technology news, gadgets reviews & ratings. Popular gadgets including laptop, tablet and mobile specifications, features, prices, comparison.