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Dhananjaya de Silva shone on day two completing a tenth Test ton before Pakistan recovered from an early setback, having lost their top five batsmen with 105 on the board, on day two of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle.
When play was called off due to rain, Pakistan were 221 for 5, 91 runs adrift of the host’s first innings score of 312.
Pakistan lost their first five batsmen with just 101 runs on the board, before Suad Shakeel and Agha Salman stitched together a 120-run unbroken partnership.
Shakeel was on 69 runs off 88 balls while Salman was not far behind on 61 off 84.
The rocky start to their innings was thanks to Sri Lanka’s right arm pace bowler Kasun Rajitha and spinners Prabath Jayasuriya and Ramesh Mendis, who accounted for the five wickets that fell.
Rajitha struck first, making the early breakthrough in the second over of the innings getting rid of opener Imam ul-Haq, before Abdullah Shafique was joined by Shan Masood in a brief stand of 44 runs for the second wicket.
Jayasuriya separated the duo with the wicket of Shafique.
A partnership of 20 between Masood and Babar Azam ensued, before Mendis dismissed the dangerous Masood for 39, made off just 30 deliveries.
Jayasuriya then added two more wickets to his name, removing the Pakistan captain Azam, and Sharfraz Ahmed who had shown some intent to score quickly, as the visitors slid to 101 for 5.
Sri Lanka resumed their first innings on 242 for 6, and the first session belonged to Dhananjaya de Silva who scored a tenth Test hundred.
De Silva was in no hurry and was concentrating on keeping his wicket in tack with Sri Lanka’s 250 coming up, after which de Silva reached his ton after a considerable period of time, taking him 175 balls in contrast to his free-flowing batting style on day one.
Meanwhile Sri Lanka lost their first wicket on day two after the addition of 15 runs, that of Ramesh Mendis, which followed with the wicket of Prabath Jayasuriya.
Jayasuriya put on a brief stand of 25 runs with de Silva taking Sri Lanka on 282 for 8 when he was caught.
De Silva followed one run later falling victim to Naseem Shah having made a valuable 122 which came off 214 balls inclusive of 12 boundaries and three sixes – his third ton in Galle.
The last pair of Kasun Rajitha and Vishwa Fernando further frustrated the Pakistan bowlers as they helped Sri Lanka past the 300 runs mark before ending with the score of 312 and the pair shared a valuable 29 runs for the last wicket while Vishwa Fernando remained unbeaten on 21.
The match will be continued at 9.45 a.m. tomorrow. (Pix: Pradeep Dilrukshana)
