Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Photo: Neweditorpk / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Debutant fast bowler Saqib Khan took seven wickets as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 446 on day four of the first Test at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Thursday. Sri Lanka took a narrow 12-run first-innings lead over Pakistan’s 434 for 9 declared.
Sri Lanka resumed the day on 404 for 4, with Dhananjaya de Silva on 167 and captain Kusal Mendis on 117. But Saqib removed de Silva in the first over of the day and Mendis soon after for 119, and Sri Lanka lost their last six wickets for just 42 runs. Saqib finished with 7 for 130 in 34 overs, the fourth-best figures by a Pakistan bowler on Test debut.
Pakistan began their second innings and lost debutant opener Tayyab Arif for 11. At lunch Pakistan were 39 for 1, leading by 27 runs, with Azan Awais on 16 and Mohammad Taha on 12. The match is finely balanced with one day left after today.
In other cricket today, Brisbane Heat beat Melbourne Stars by eight wickets in the Women’s Big Bash League at Junction Oval. Georgia Redmayne hit an unbeaten 74 and Orla Prendergast 52 not out as Heat chased down 166 with seven balls to spare.
