Pakistan Shaheens continue to dominate Sri Lanka A in the first unofficial Test at Rawalpindi.
After fast bowlers Kashif Ali and Khurram Shahzad ripped through Sri Lanka A’s batting line-up, sharing nine wickets between them to bowl out the visitors for a mere 115 runs on the opening day of the first four-day match, the hosts responded with 258 runs to take a considerable 143-run lead in their first innings.
Opting to bowl first, Shaheens found instant success with right-arm speedster Kashif Ali dismantling the opposition’s top order. Kashif showcased a lethal spell, claiming 5-31 in his 12 overs, while seasoned pacer Khurram Shahzad added to the pressure with 4-32 off 10.1 overs.
Sri Lanka A faced an early collapse, slipping to 14-4 before a determined fifth-wicket partnership of 51 between skipper Pasindu Sooriyabandara (28 off 40) and top-scorer Sonal Dinusha (30 off 66) helped stabilize the innings.
However, the stand was broken by Hussain Talat, and the visitors ultimately folded quickly, adding only 25 more runs for their last four wickets before lunch.
In response, Shaheens faced their own challenges. Captain Mohammad Huraira fell in the seventh over to Test pacer Vishwa Fernando, while Abdul Faseeh (26 off 60) put on a 34-run partnership for the second wicket with fellow left-hander Ali Zaryab before he was dismissed by Wanuja Sahan in the 20th over.
Half-centuries by Ali Zaryab, Hussain Talat, and Rohail Nazir helped Pakistan recover on the second day to post a mighty challenge for the visitors.
Pakistan Shaheens will be hoping for a repeat of the first innings when Sri Lanka A begins their pursuit to save the first test match of the two-game series.
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