Saud Shakeel misses another ton but helps Pakistan force draw
Sri Lanka's final-day push accounted for nothing in a Test that saw over 100 overs lost due to bad light
The first Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi petered out to a draw on the final day even though the hosts suffered jitters in the morning session. Eventually Saud Shakeel played a defiant knock, but fell three short of his century. His 97, however, ensured there was no time for Sri Lanka to entertain any hopes of an unlikely win in a Test match that saw nearly 120 overs lost due to bad light.
Draw was always the likeliest result going into the final day but Sri Lanka had given themselves a brief opportunity to force a result with a strong start, picking up four wickets to leave Pakistan at 125 for 5. However, the visitors were unable to sustain that pressure as Shakeel and the lower order batted through the bulk of the remaining time.
Azan Awais fell early to Lahiru Kamara and Asitha Fernando removed Mohammad Taha in the very next over as Sri Lanka's bowlers found enough movement to trouble the batters. Pakistan's lead was still modest, and another couple of wickets could have brought Sri Lanka firmly into the contest.
Babar Azam and Saud Shakeel, however, provided much-needed resistance. Babar looked to keep the scoring rate moving, finding boundaries through the off side and off his pads, while Shakeel adopted a more measured approach. The pair added 50 for the fourth wicket before Milan Rathnayake removed Babar for 34.
Sri Lanka continued to make inroads, with Rathnayake dismissing Salman Agha for 13 soon after. But Ghazi Ghori joined Shakeel to put together a valuable 92-run stand for the sixth wicket. Ghori contributed 35, while Shakeel remained patient at the other end, gradually taking Pakistan's lead beyond 200. More importantly, the pair took out 156 balls out of the game.
Rathnayake ended Ghori's stay, but Sri Lanka were unable to make further quick inroads. Arafat Minhas added 16 in a 44-run stand with Shakeel before Dhananjaya de Silva accounted for him. With the lead already substantial and time running out, Pakistan continued to bat on.
Shakeel, who had scored 93 in the first innings, looked set to make up for that missed chance in the first innings by getting to his fifth Test ton. He moved into the nineties and was within touching distance of a century when Lahiru Kumara bowled him for 97. The left-hander had spent 210 deliveries at the crease, striking seven boundaries.
The teams decided to shake hands for a draw immediately after Shakeel's dismissal, at which point Pakistan's lead was 272. It brought an end to a contest in which the teams batted big and cancelled each other out after the first two innings.
Brief scores: Pakistan 434/9 decl. (Saud Shakeel 93; Asitha Fernando 3-107) & 284/8 decl. (Saud Shakeel 97, Babar Azam 34; Milan Rathnayake 3-47) drew with Sri Lanka 446 (Dhananjaya de Silva 167, Kusal Mendis 119; Saqib Khan 7-130)
