Pakistan in command after Saud Shakeel’s ton
Saud Shakeel became the first Pakistani batter who scored the most runs in first 11 Test innings of his career
July 18, 2023
Left-handed batter Saud Shakeel hit an attacking century on Tuesday against Sri Lanka helping Pakistan take the lead on the second day of the rain-hit first Test played at Galle International Stadium.
Shakeel scored 150 with the help of 14 boundaries at a strike-rate of over 67 while his overnight partner Agha Salman got out at 83 off Ramesh Mendis.
The tourists reached 365-8 after 84 overs, 50 runs ahead of Sri Lanka’s first innings total, after a delayed start to the day due to rain and a wet outfield in Galle.
Shakeel, playing in his sixth Test, hit a boundary and took three runs to raise his second Test ton in a 177-run stand with Salman.
The pair rescued Pakistan from a precarious 101-5 on day two as they took on the Sri Lankan spinners led by left-armer Prabath Jayasuriya, who rattled the visitors on Monday with three top-order wickets including skipper Babar Azam.
Both Shakeel and Salman scored runs briskly and hit regular boundaries but the run rate dipped after Salman´s departure.
