Pakistan took early advantage in the first cricket Test against Sri Lanka by reducing the hosts to 80 for four at lunch on the first day on July 16.
Sri Lanka had elected to bat first at the Galle International Stadium after winning the toss in good batting conditions, but the team’s batsmen failed to live up to expectations with several soft dismissals.
Captain Dimuth Karunaratne dragged a Shaeen Afridi delivery on to his stumps for 1 and then a 49-run stand followed for the second wicket between Oshada Fernando and Kusal Mendis.
Then Sri Lanka lost three wickets for the addition of just eight runs, slumping to 68 for four after being 60 for one.
Fernando and Mendis departed in the space of three deliveries with Yasir Shah breaking the partnership. Mendis (21) bottom-edged one to wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan as the leg-spinner claimed his first wicket since making a comeback. Yasir had not represented Pakistan since August last year due to injuries.
Pakistan then made a bowling change, bringing Hasan Ali in from the City End and it worked as Oshada Fernando (35) nicked an out-swinger and Rizwan took a good catch diving to his right.
Mathews spent 30 minutes at the crease but never looked comfortable. Yasir ended his misery when the former captain hit it straight to Naseem Shah at mid-on and was dismissed without scoring.
Dinesh Chandimal, who had made an unbeaten double hundred in Sri Lanka’s last test match in an innings victory over Australia earlier this week, was unbeaten on 12 at lunch with Dhananjaya de Silva on 8.
Teams:
Sri Lanka: Dimuth Karunaratne (captain), Oshada Fernando, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Dhananjaya de Silva, Niroshan Dickwella, Ramesh Mendis, Maheesh Theekshana, Kasun Rajitha and Prabath Jayasuriya
Pakistan: Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan, Abdullah Shafique, Azhar Ali, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Salman Agha, Shaheen Afridi and Yasir Shah.
Umpires: Marais Erasmus, South Africa, and Kumar Dharmasena, Sri Lanka.
Third Umpire: Rod Tucker, Australia.
Match Referee: Jeff Crowe, New Zealand.
