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Cricket

Saud Shakeel smashes double century against Sri Lanka on Day 3 of first Test

On Day 3 of the first Test, Pakistan is in a strong position thanks to Saud Shakeel’s magnificent double century. Pakistan achieved 461 in the first innings thanks to Shakeel’s 208*. Sri Lanka reached 14/0 in their second innings at Stumps, behind Pakistan by 135 runs. Earlier, before lunch on Day 2, Pakistan had bundled out Sri Lanka for 312.

With Shakeel and Agha Salman at the crease, Prabath Jayasuriya trapped Sarfaraz Ahmed to reduce Pakistan to 101-5. Late in the day, the couple launched an incredible rescue operation that lasted till the next morning. Shakeel had already achieved his century by the time Salman left.

Shakeel, 27, who is playing his sixth Test, reigned as he cut Dhananjaya de Silva for a boundary, bringing up his double century to a standing applause. After another rain-soaked day, the hosts finished the day on 14 for no loss. In their second innings, Sri Lanka is still 135 runs behind Pakistan.

The Sri Lankan bowlers responded in the second session, headed by off-spinner Ramesh Mendis, who finished with a five-wicket haul, but Shakeel cooperated with the lower order, including a 52-run seventh-wicket stand with Noman Ali, who made 25. However, it was his 177-run partnership with Agha Salman (83), who spearheaded Pakistan’s comeback from 101-5 in response to Sri Lanka’s 312. Shakeel was dropped on 93 and 139 as he surpassed his previous record of 125 not out. Both Shakeel and Salman scored runs quickly and struck boundaries on a regular basis, but the run rate dropped once Salman left.

As Babar Azam and company amassed a massive first innings total on Day 3 of the first Test in Sri Lanka, Shakeel became the first Pakistan hitter to achieve a double century.

Shakeel now has two hundreds and five fifties in his blossoming Test career, with an average of 98.5 from 11 innings. Sri Lanka finished day three with a score of 14-o, behind Pakistan by 135.

The 27-year-old set a new career high in Test cricket. After 11 Test innings, the middle-order hitter has also scored the most runs for Pakistan. Shakeel has 788 runs for Pakistan in the game’s longest and oldest format. Shakeel remained undefeated on 208 from 361 balls, propelling Babar’s Pakistan to 461 in 121.2 overs.

 

Sri Lanka Playing XI:Dimuth Karunaratne(c), Nishan Madushka, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dinesh Chandimal, Sadeera Samarawickrama(w), Ramesh Mendis, Prabath Jayasuriya, Vishwa Fernando, Kasun Rajitha

Pakistan Playing XI:Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Shan Masood, Babar Azam(c), Saud Shakeel, Sarfaraz Ahmed(w), Agha Salman, Nauman Ali, Abrar Ahmed, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah

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