RAWALPINDI (The Thursday Times) — Bad light and then rain ended the fourth day of the first Test early on Thursday with Pakistan on 57-1 in their second innings, a lead of 45 runs over Sri Lanka going into the final day.
Play was called off at 3:05pm local time after 21.2 overs of Pakistan’s reply. Azan Awais was unbeaten on 22, having been dropped on 17 by Sri Lanka captain Kusal Mendis behind the stumps, and Mohammad Taha was 24 not out off 55 balls.
Taha, one of Pakistan’s four debutants, made a half-century in the first innings. The pair came together after opener Tayyab Arif, another debutant, was trapped lbw by Asitha Fernando for 11 in the third over. Arif’s review was unsuccessful.
Saqib’s morning
The day belonged to the bowlers before the weather intervened. Debutant Saqib Khan finished with 7-130 from 34 overs as Sri Lanka, resuming on 404-4, lost their last six wickets for 42 runs to be bowled out for 446.
His burst of five wickets in an eight-over spell under cloudy skies broke the 249-run stand between Dhananjaya de Silva, who made 167, and Mendis, who made 119. The two centurions had put Sri Lanka in charge on the third day.
Saqib became only the fourth Pakistani to take seven wickets in an innings on Test debut, after Mohammad Nazir, Mohammad Zahid, and Abrar Ahmed. Wicketkeeper Ghazi Ghori held six catches.
One day to go
Pakistan declared their first innings on 434-9, leaving Sri Lanka with a 12-run lead after the collapse. With nine second-innings wickets in hand and a single day left, both sides will be watching the Rawalpindi weather on Friday.
