Dhananjaya de Silva made an unbeaten 167 and Kusal Mendis an unbeaten 117 as Sri Lanka reached 404 for 4 on Day 3 in Rawalpindi. Their unbroken 249-run stand cut Pakistan’s first-innings lead to 30 before bad light ended play.
Rawalpindi, Pakistan: Sri Lanka began Wednesday at 114 for 3, still 320 runs behind, and ended it 30 short of Pakistan’s 434 for 9 declared with six wickets in hand. The turnaround, built across 102 overs at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, rested on two centurions who gave the home attack no way back.
One wicket, then control
Kamindu Mendis resumed on 40 and Dhananjaya de Silva on 22 after Saqib Khan and Mohammad Abbas had cut Sri Lanka to 114 for 3 on Day 2. The pair extended a fourth-wicket stand of 90 before Abbas had Kamindu caught behind by Ghazi Ghori for 58 from 131 balls, with eight fours. That left Sri Lanka on 155 for 4. It was the only wicket Pakistan took all day.
De Silva and Kusal Mendis shut the door
What followed was an unbroken fifth-wicket partnership of 249. De Silva reached his 14th Test hundred off 151 balls and went on to 167 not out from 241 balls, with 20 fours. Captain Kusal Mendis collected his 11th Test century in his 117 not out from 188 balls, hitting ten fours and four sixes. Bad light eventually ended play early, with the stand still intact.
Lahiru Udara, the batter called into the squad after Pathum Nissanka was ruled out of the series, made 42 on Day 2 before falling.
Pakistan’s attack runs dry
Razaullah went wicketless and conceded 127 runs from 23 overs, the most expensive figures in the attack, while Arafat Minhas and Salman Ali Agha also drew a blank. Abbas has 2 for 64 and Saqib Khan 2 for 105 from 26 overs, both of his wickets having come on Day 2.
Pakistan’s own 434 for 9, declared on Day 2, was founded on Saud Shakeel’s 93, with Tayyab Arif’s 57, Arafat Minhas’s 52, Mohammad Taha’s 51 and Babar Azam’s 50 supplying the depth. With Sri Lanka now within 30 of it, that total looks less commanding than it did when Pakistan declared.
Day 4 and the lead
Sri Lanka resume on Thursday needing 31 runs for a first-innings lead, with de Silva and Kusal Mendis still together and six wickets standing. Pakistan must find a way to break a partnership that has now run to 249. The Test is scheduled to run until Friday.
Pakistan v Sri Lanka, first Test, Rawalpindi (Day 3)
Pakistan: 434 for 9 declared (106.3 overs). Saud Shakeel 93, Tayyab Arif 57, Arafat Minhas 52, Mohammad Taha 51, Babar Azam 50.
Sri Lanka: 404 for 4 after 102 overs. Dhananjaya de Silva 167*, Kusal Mendis 117*, Kamindu Mendis 58, Lahiru Udara 42. Mohammad Abbas 2 for 64, Saqib Khan 2 for 105, Razaullah 0 for 127.
Status: Stumps on Day 3, bad light. Sri Lanka trail by 30 runs with six wickets in hand.
