Shafique’s century keeps Pakistan in the hunt is news of the day. Read out the complete details down below.
Shafique’s century keeps Pakistan in the hunt
On day four of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle on Tuesday, Abdullah Shafique hit his second Test hundred. This put the tourists on track to do a big chase. With a score of 222-3, Pakistan lost the game. They needed 120 runs to take the lead in the two-Test series. Sri Lanka scored 337 runs in their second innings, giving Pakistan a huge total of 342. It looked like Sri Lanka was going to win the match. After being bowled out for 218 in the first innings, the tourists did much better with the bat in the second innings. Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq opened with a stand of 87, and then Shafique and captain Babar Azam scored 101 together (55). Shafique’s unbeaten 112 included five fours and a six, while Mohammad Rizwan was on seven.
But when Pakistan started to chase, Shafique and Imam didn’t seem like they had a lot of support. Shafique was able to get a leg-before call against him overturned, but Imam was out after being dropped at the crease. Imam’s innings ended in a strange way when he let go of a spin ball from Ramesh Mendis but lifted his back foot, which let Niroshan Dickwella quickly stump him. When Jayasuriya caught Azhar Ali at slip for six, it seemed like Sri Lanka was back in charge. Babar got a hundred in the first innings. He started by hitting Jayasuriya for four, then hit the spinner over deep midwicket with the next ball. Shafique hugged and kissed his captain, Babar, when he got his hundred with a single off Maheesh Theekshana. Even though it looked like Pakistan was ahead, Jayasuriya bowled around Babar’s legs in the last session.
