Pakistan’s opener Abdullah Shafique chalked up his maiden double hundred in Test cricket against Sri Lanka in the second test match of the series. Agha Salman also notched his 2nd century in Test cricket and he along with Abdullah Shafique looked in complete control of the match.
A day that totally belonged to the visitors left Sri Lanka in deep trouble. At the end of day 3 of this test, Pakistan were 563 for 5 with a strike rate of 4.2, and the lead they have gained is 397 runs. The heroic innings of Abdullah Shafique and Agha Salman put Pakistan in a very definite position to win this test.
Top Performer of the Day
The 23-year-old Pakistani opener Abdullah Shafique made his first-ever double hundred in Test Cricket. He scored 201 runs in 326 balls with a strike rate of 61.6, which includes 19 fours and 4 sixes. However, to make things even bigger for himself, he went for a big shot on the ball of Prabath Jayasuriya but couldn’t connect well with his bat, and the ball lands straight into the hands of Deep mid-off.
Another big score came from the bat of middle-order batsman Agha Salman, who has been in tremendous form. He scored his 2nd Test hundred, remaining not out with 132 runs on day 3, at a strike rate of 89.2. His innings also included 15 fours and 1 six. He looked so positive throughout his innings and never allowed Sri Lanka to consistently bowl on the proper line.
Double Centurion of the first Test, Saud Shakeel, also got his another 50 in Test cricket. By scoring yet another half-century, Saud Shakeel becomes the first batter in Test history to score a fifty in each of the first seven Tests he has played. Mohammad Rizwan also looks in good touch as he goes not out on the score of 37 runs.
Pakistan’s Complete Dominance Over Clueless Sri Lanka
With a lead of 397 runs, Pakistan’s dugout must be overwhelmed with the collective performance from each and every player throughout the whole series. The batting is looking super solid for this Pakistan team as everyone contributed their sweat for their team. In the bowling department, Naseem Shah has been shining superbly, along with the spinning efforts of Abrar Ahmed.
Very few chances are left for the hosts to escape with a draw in this test match, but Sri Lanka’s spinner Prabath Jayasuriya didn’t let Babar Azam dominate with his bat since last year’s Pakistan tour of Sri Lanka. Pakistan captain Babar Azam has scored just 172 runs against Prabath Jayasuriya in Test cricket at an average of 28.66. However, in the last tour to Sri Lanka, Babar scored some big runs, including 1 hundred and 2 fifties, but he has failed three consecutive times in this series, giving his crucial wicket to Prabath Jayasuriya.
What to Expect on Day 4
Pakistan is cruising at the moment, giving no chance to Sri Lanka to find their way back. Abdullah Shafique and Agha Salman in this match, along with Saud Shakeel in both matches, have been dominating in the 2-match series. With a gigantic lead of 397 runs, it is unlikely that Pakistan will bat on Day 4, as the expectation is of an overnight declaration.
As Agha Salman notches his 100, we might see an overnight declaration from Pakistan and give the hosts the last chance to save the series for themselves, as Pakistan is already 1-0 up in the two-test match series. Sri Lankan captain Dimuth Karunaratne has to score runs for his team and secure one end on day 4, otherwise, it’s looking impossible to resist the visitors and prevent them from going home with a 2-0 victory.
Also Read: SL vs PAK: Saud Shakeel’s Double Ton Sends Sri Lanka Shockwaves