11/12/2026 04:36:00
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11/12 04:34 CST Saqib takes 7 wickets on debut before rain disrupts
Pakistan-Sri Lanka 1st cricket test
Saqib takes 7 wickets on debut before rain disrupts Pakistan-Sri Lanka 1st
cricket test
By RIZWAN ALI
AP Sports Writer
RAWALPINDI, Pakistan (AP) --- New fast bowler Saqib Khan's seven-wicket haul
led Pakistan's comeback against Sri Lanka on a rain-affected day four of the
first cricket test on Thursday.
Saqib's dream figures of 7-130 on debut helped Sri Lanka collapse to 446 all
out after resuming on a formidable 404-4. Sri Lanka eked out a first-innings
lead of 12 runs.
Pakistan reached 57-1 in 21.2 overs of its second innings midway into the
second session when stumps was called at 3:05 p.m. for bad light followed by
rain. Pakistan leads by 45 runs at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
At the crease were Azan Awais, on 22 after he was dropped on 17 by captain
Kusal Mendis behind the wickets, and Mohammad Taha, one of Pakistan's four
debutants who has followed his first innings half-century with 24 not out off
55 balls.
The 31-year-old Saqib made full use of perfect bowling conditions on the fourth
morning with incisive swing to rattle Sri Lanka. The visitor lost its last six
wickets for 42 runs in a seven-wicket first session after only one wicket fell
on day two.
Saqib became only the fourth man after Mohammad Nazir, Mohammad Zahid and Abrar
Ahmed to grab seven wickets in an innings on test debut for Pakistan.
Saqib kisses the pitch
The greenish pitch on which Sri Lanka lost only Kamindu Mendis on Wednesday
sprung to life in on Thursday in overcast conditions.
In a relentless eight-over spell, Saqib grabbed 5-25 as centurions Dhananjaya
de Silva and captain Kusal Mendis were dismissed inside the first 15 minutes.
Their 249-run stand was broken by Saqib off the fifth ball of the morning when
he found the outside edge of de Silva, who couldn't add to his overnight 167.
Saud Shakeel, who dropped de Silva on 38 on day three, once again spilled a low
catch off Mendis. But two balls later wicketkeeper Ghazi Ghori brought up
another spectacular diving catch off Saqib's probing delivery outside the off
stump to end the Sri Lanka skipper's knock on 119.
Sri Lanka rising star Sonal Dinusha, who has three centuries and two
half-centuries in his previous five test matches, made 20 before he went for an
expansive drive against Saqib and edged to the slips cordon. With his fifth
wicket, the pacer kissed the turf.
Milan Rathnayake overtook Pakistan's first-innings score of 434-9 declared with
a pulled boundary off Razaullah before Saqib grabbed two more wickets,
including Asitha Fernando for Ghori's sixth catch behind the wickets.
Razaullah wrapped up a great morning for Pakistan by having Rathnayake
top-edging a pull to deep fine leg.
Pakistan's only wicket to fall was debutant Tayyab Arif, trapped in front by
Fernando on 11 in the third over. Arif wasted one of Pakistan's three reviews
but Awais and Taha dug in in testing batting conditions to deny Sri Lanka
further success.
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