Ton-up Shafique, skipper Azam drives Pakistan's record chase at Galle
Opener Abdullah Shafique hit a gritty century to keep Pakistan in the hunt to chase down a victory target of 342 in the opening Test against Sri Lanka on Tuesday.
Babar Azam Sport News
Watch: Sri Lanka Spinner's Absolute Ripper To Bowl Babar Azam Around The Legs
A day after Yasir Shah brought back memories of Shane Warne's 'Ball of the Century' with his sharp leg-break to dismiss Kusal Mendis, Sri Lanka spinner Prabath Jayasuriya produced an absolute ripper to dismiss Pakistan's talismanic captain Babar Azam. Babar, well set in Pakistan's chase on Day 4 of the first Test, was beaten all ends up by Jayasuriya's brilliant delivery. The left-arm spinner, coming from over the wicket, bowled it on the rough outside leg. The Pakistan skipper looked to pad it away, but the ball instead went around his legs and clattered onto the stumps.
Shafique hundred keeps Pakistan on course in big chase
COLOMBO : Pakistan's Abdullah Shafique smashed his second test hundred to put the tourists on course to accomplish a mammoth chase on day four of the opening test against Sri Lanka in Galle on Tuesday.
Sri Lanka vs Pakistan, 1st Test: Ton-up Shafique drives Pakistan's record chase at Galle
Pakistan in the hunt to chase down a victory target of 342 in the opening Test against Sri Lanka on Tuesday. Pakistan ended day four on 222 for three, still needing 120 runs to take the lead in the two-match series at Galle, where the highest successful fourth-innings chase is 268 by Sri Lanka against New Zealand in 2019. Shafique, batting on 112, and skipper Babar Azam, who made 55, put together 101 runs for the third wicket but spinner Prabath Jayasuriya broke through just a few overs before the close of play. Jayasuriya bowled talisman Azam with his left-arm spin around the batsman's legs with a delivery that spun sharply from outside leg to rattle the stumps of the right-hander, who looked visibly shocked. Wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan was batting on seven at stumps alongside Shafique, who had so far faced 289 balls and hit five boundaries and one six.
Sri Lanka regain control of Galle Test after Dinesh Chandimal's fightback
Sri Lanka's batsmen showed remarkable poise on a wearing pitch to thwart Pakistan's spinners and regain control of the first Test in Galle on Monday.
"Proving His Stature": Pakistan Great On Babar Azam Reaching Historic Milestone
Babar Azam's rise in world cricket continues at a great pace. On the second day of the first Test against Sri Lanka at Galle on Sunday, Azam made a defiant 119 to thwart a Sri Lankan spin attack led by Prabath Jayasuriya. Azam single-handedly took the tourists to just four runs short of Sri Lanka's 222 as he put on a 70-run tenth-wicket stand with Naseem Shah, who made five not out from 52 balls, in Galle. Sri Lanka were 36 for one at stumps after skipper Dimuth Karunaratne fell lbw to left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz, for 16.
It was an exceptional innings: Yousuf on Babar Azam's ton
Pakistan batting coach Muhammad Yousuf has hailed skipper Babar Azam for his "exceptional" innings against Sri Lanka, terming it as one of the best innings that he has ever seen in the longest format of the game. Babar scored a magnificent 119-run innings and added an invaluable 106 runs with the last two wickets as Pakistan recovered from 85 for 7 to score 218 in reply to Sri Lanka's 222 in the first innings on the second day of the Galle Test. "I think it was an exceptional, mature and patient innings. The maturity Babar has shown as a batsman even after becoming captain in all three formats is remarkable," Yousuf said after the second day's play here.
Defiant Babar Azam Ton Leads Pakistan Fight Back In First Test vs Sri Lanka
Pakistan skipper Babar Azam made a defiant 119 to thwart a Sri Lankan spin attack led by Prabath Jayasuriya on day two of an evenly poised first Test on Sunday. Azam single-handedly took the tourists to just four runs short of Sri Lanka's 222 as he put on a 70-run tenth-wicket stand with Naseem Shah, who made five not out from 52 balls, in Galle. Sri Lanka were 36 for one at stumps after skipper Dimuth Karunaratne fell lbw to left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz, for 16.