Pakistan–Sri Lanka First Test Ends in Draw as Saud Falls on 97

RAWALPINDI: The first Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka ended in a draw on Friday. Saud Shakeel fell three runs short of a century for the second time in the match, dismissed for 97, and the two sides shook hands shortly afterwards with Pakistan 284-8 in their second innings.
Saud dismissed in the 90s in both innings
Shakeel made 97 off 210 balls, striking seven fours, before Lahiru Kumara bowled him. He had scored 93 in the first innings, making him the first Pakistani batter to be dismissed in the 90s in both innings of the same Test. Pakistan declared their second innings at 284-8, a lead of 272, with two wickets still in hand.
Pakistan 151-5 at lunch after a sharp morning session
Pakistan resumed the final day on 57-1 and lost Azan Awais to the first ball of the day, edging Kumara for 22. Mohammad Taha followed for 24, edging Asitha Fernando behind. Babar Azam countered with 34 before falling to Milan Rathnayake’s short-ball trap, caught at short square leg, and Salman Ali Agha went the same way for 13, leaving Pakistan 125-5.
Ghazi Ghori’s 92-run stand saved the match
Wicketkeeper-batter Ghazi Ghori then stood firm with Shakeel, the pair adding 92 for the sixth wicket and pushing the lead beyond Sri Lanka’s reach. Ghori made 35 before Rathnayake broke the stand, and Arafat Minhas added 16 in a 44-run partnership with Shakeel. Rathnayake finished with 3-47, while Kumara and Fernando took two wickets each.
141 overs lost to bad light; pink ball proposed
Rain and bad light cost the match 141 overs across the five days, and play on the final day was called off at 4:18 PM, nearly two hours before the scheduled 6:10 PM close. Head coach Mike Hesson said the use of the pink ball should be seriously considered for Tests in Pakistan at this time of year, when poor light regularly interrupts play. Captain Babar Azam backed the idea, while Hesson made clear it could not be introduced midway through a series, since teams would need preparation and an adequate supply of pink balls.
Scoreboard and the second Test
Pakistan had declared their first innings at 434-9 before Sri Lanka replied with 446, a lead of 12, built on Dhananjaya de Silva’s 167 and captain Kusal Mendis’s 119. Debutant Saqib Khan’s 7-130 earned him the player-of-the-match award. Both teams took four points each in the World Test Championship, leaving the two-match series level at 0-0. The second and final Test begins at the same venue on November 17.