Sri Lanka’s lower middle order extended her first innings to 80 runs before Pakistan reduced it to 23 runs on stumps on the second day of the Karachi Test.
Opener Abid Ali (32 *) and Shan Masood (21 *) ended the second day with Pakistan on 57/0 in 14 overs in their second innings.
Sri Lanka started the day on 64./3. In the first innings with Lasith Embuldeniya (3 *) and Angelo Mathews (8 *), the Overnight Batsmen. Naseem Shah was a little late on the left and almost his first wicket when Embuldeniya pressed a delivery on the 22nd, only for Babar Azam to spill a direct chance of gully.
The duo had increased their overnight stand by 14 runs when Mohammad Abbas sent Embuldeniya from the top edge to the cordon. Not long after, Mathews pushed towards the gatekeeper and became the fifth Sri Lankan gatekeeper at 80.
They trail by just 23 runs and have all 10 wickets in the bank. Can Pakistan still win this Test?#PAKvSL pic.twitter.com/U4YZ100tAT
— ICC (@ICC) December 20, 2019
After that, Dhananjaya de Silva and Dinesh Chandimal recovered briefly and fought with 18 overs for a 67-run stand. It was Shaheen Afridi who returned to break the partnership under his second spell and capture his third wicket from a bouncer to de Silva.
Chandimal found the company at the other end in Niroshan Dickwella, with whom he forged a stand with 23 runs until the tea break, which also reduced the deficit to 21 runs.
Shaheen and Abbas continued to lift the ball off the field. such delivery of Abbas moved noticeably on the pitching and sneaked through the gap between his racket and pad, ending Dickwella’s stay on the 21st.
A shot from Dilruwan Perera for two runs equalized the score, and shortly thereafter Chandimal made a backfoot ride before Abbas to reach his fifty. Chandimal continued his attack from one end and drilled three fours from a Naseem over the 70th inning and was well supported at the other end by Perera, who was not afraid to hit Yasir Shah’s spin over the field.
A bowler's dream. #PAKvSL pic.twitter.com/LlpUC0CAOp
— ICC (@ICC) December 20, 2019
Chandimal’s vigil ended when he slapped Haris Sohail directly. Perera helped towards the end with a small cameo that hit six fours and sixs to become Sri Lanka’s penultimate faller. Afridi wrapped up his first five-door move by wrapping the innings shortly after with Lahiru Kumara’s release, but Perera’s contribution was enough to bring Sri Lanka’s score to 271.
Pakistani openers Masood and Ali put together a stand from half a century in 13 overs, defying all four Sri Lankan bowlers who were used in the final stages of the evening. The wicket showed signs of further deterioration. Karunaratne used an over-spinner Perera over beside Embuldeniya’s left arm, but visitors couldn’t make any progress until the bad light forced stumps.
