Pakistan beat Sri Lanka in Colombo test by innings and 222 runs, clinching series by 2-0

Pakistan on Thursday beat Sri Lanka in the Colombo test by innings and 222 runs, clinching the series by 2-0!

On day-4 of the second test match, Nauman Ali’s seven-wicket haul helped Pakistan defeat the hosts at the Colombo Cricket Stadium in Sri Lanka.

Pakistan declared their first innings against Sri Lanka by scoring 576 runs for 5 wickets, gaining a huge lead of 410 runs over the host team.

Left-arm spinner Nauman Ali took 7 wickets while fast bowler Naseem Shah sent 3 players to the pavilion while showing excellent bowling on behalf of Pakistan as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 188 runs in the second innings. 

For the host side, Nishan Madushka scored 33 runs, captain Dimuth Karunaratne scored 41 runs, Kaushal Mendes scored 14 runs, Dinesh Chandimal scored one and Dhananjaya de Silva scored 10 runs, Sudira Samara Wickrama scored 5 runs, Ramesh Mendis scored 16 runs, Parbat Jayasuriya was sent back on zero, Isitha Fernando zero and Dilshan Madhushanka was also bowled out on zero, while veteran batsman Angelo Mathews scored 63 runs.

As the play started on the last day of the match, Pakistan’s score was 563 for the loss of 5 wickets, the partnership of Salman Ali Agha and Mohammad Rizwan took the score to 576 runs, as Mohammad Rizwan Half century was completed after adding 13 runs, Pakistan declared the innings with a lead of 410 runs.

The third day’s play started at Pakistan’s score of 178 runs for 2 wickets, but Abdullah Shafiq and captain Babar Azam formed a good partnership and took the score to 210 runs.

Babar Azam scored 39 and Saud Shakeel got out for 57, after which Abdullah Shafiq and Salman Ali Agha formed a long partnership, Abdullah Shafiq scored a double-century to put the team in a strong position.

Abdullah Shafiq was the last batsman to be dismissed on the third day, who played a brilliant innings of 201 runs and was dismissed for 468 off Aseetha Jayasuriya.

After the dismissal of Abdullah Shafiq, veteran wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed came in to bat but unfortunately he could not continue batting and retired hurt after being hit by the ball on his helmet.

Mohammad Rizwan then came in to support Agha Salman and both the batsmen showed responsible batting and did not allow any more wickets to fall till the end of the day.

When the third day of the Colombo Test ended, Pakistan had scored 563 runs for 5 wickets and had a lead of 397 runs over Sri Lanka.

Agha Salman scored 132 and Mohammad Rizwan scored 37 runs at the crease.

It should be noted that with this series both the teams have started the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25.

No changes were made to the national team for the second and final Test match of the series and all the players who were part of the team in the first Test match have been retained.