Saud Shakeel became the 1st Pakistani batter to make a double century on Sri Lankan soil, finishing unbeaten on 208 as Pakistan were bowled out on 461, with a lead of 149 runs.
The morning session was crucial to Sri Lanka’s chances with Shakeel and Agha Salman having put on 120 for the 5th wicket on a rain-shortened day 2. However, the hosts were unable to find a breakthrough in the 1st hour after morning showers delayed the start of play. The Pakistani pair kept scoring at over 4 runs an over, as they had right through their innings, extending their partnership beyond the 150-run mark.
Ramesh Mendis eventually got the breakthrough for Sri Lanka in the 56th over, Salman dancing down to a good length delivery to give Sadeera Samarawickrama an easy stumping. The pair put on 177 for the 6th wicket, Pakistan’s highest for any wicket against Sri Lanka in Galle.
Though the rate of run-scoring dropped drastically, it didn’t matter as Shakeel put on 183 invaluable runs alongside Nauman Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah and Abrar Ahmed, with Pakistan’s last 5 wickets accounting for 360 runs. Shah survived the longest, facing 78 deliveries for his 6 runs, while Ali contributed the most among the last 4, with 23 off 47.
The left-hander survived a couple of chances, the first of which came in the 56th over when he was on 93, when Ramesh Mendis got him to nudge one in the air down the leg side off his 1st delivery of the day. Unfortunately, Nishan Madushka couldn’t hold on at leg slip and Shakeel went to his century a couple of deliveries later. He was also put down by Angelo Mathews in the deep on 133. But nothing can be taken away from the 27-year-old, in only his 6th Test, who showed great temperament in his 1st overseas Test, farming the strike and delivering the 1st double century for Pakistan since 2016.
Ramesh Mendis was really the only bowler who troubled the Pakistani batter on and off and ended with 5/136 in 42.2 overs, his 5th 5-wicket haul in Tests and 2nd in the last two innings.
The Sri Lankan openers faced a nervy 4-over spell but skipper Dimuth Karunaratne and Nishan Madushka survived, leaving the hosts trailing by 135 going into day 4.
