24/07Result
2nd Test, Pakistan tour of Sri Lanka at Colombo, Jul 24-27 2023
Pakistan won by an inns & 222 runs
Player of the Match
Abdullah Shafique
Abdullah ShafiquePakistan
24/07Result
2nd Test, Pakistan tour of Sri Lanka at Colombo, Jul 24-27 2023
Pakistan won by an inns & 222 runs
Player of the Match
Abdullah Shafique
Abdullah ShafiquePakistan

Some truly ridiculous dismissals there. Sri Lanka tried to take on Abrar, and frequently came out worse off - Dhananjaya de Silva in particular holing out when he didn't need to.

Aside from one excellent Naseem Shah spell, there wasn't much that was unplayable today. Sri Lanka's batters really only have themselves to blame, particularly for the two run outs.

166 all out is a paltry score on a pitch that has no demons.

Abrar Ahmed claimed four wickets, and Naseem Shah took three. Both bowled well - Shah especially.

48.4
W
Abrar Ahmed to RTM Mendis, OUT, oh dear. Sri Lanka. Another poor dismissal. In a sense it's the perfect way to end an abysmal innings. This is the googly, to which Mendis dances down the track. He tries to launch it over cow corner, but the bat twists in his hands, and he hasn't timed it well. There's a fielder in the deep who barely has to move, as he swallows is at waist height

RTM Mendis c Saud Shakeel b Abrar Ahmed 27 (65m 44b 3x4 0x6) SR: 61.36

48.3
0
Abrar Ahmed to RTM Mendis, no run, quicker through the air, and shorter, on the stumps. Mendis goes back to defend
48.2
0
Abrar Ahmed to RTM Mendis, no run, slower through the air, and shorter, because he sees Mendis come down the track. He bails out of the big shot and gets his pad behind it though
48.1
0
Abrar Ahmed to RTM Mendis, no run, floated up on off stump, defended back to the bowler

END OF OVER:
48 | 3 Runs | SL: 166/9

  • Dilshan Madushanka0 (5b)
  • Ramesh Mendis27 (40b)
  • Shaheen Shah Afridi11-1-44-1
  • Abrar Ahmed20-3-69-3
47.6
0
Shaheen Shah Afridi to Madushanka, no run, attempted yorker, but he misses the length. It was about a knee-high full toss, wide of off. Asitha throws his bat at it and misses
47.5
1
Shaheen Shah Afridi to RTM Mendis, 1 run, back of a length delivery into off stump. Mendis stands tall and clips it to deep midwicket
47.4
0
Shaheen Shah Afridi to RTM Mendis, no run, short into the ribs. Mendis tries to ride the bounce and turn it to leg, but gets hit flush on the gloves instead. Falls safely though
47.3
0
Shaheen Shah Afridi to RTM Mendis, no run, back of a length again, into the thigh pad. Mendis plays this out towards midwicket and turns down the single. He doesn't want to expose Madushanka to Shaheen
47.2
2
Shaheen Shah Afridi to RTM Mendis, 2 runs, short ball, outside off. Mendis hangs back and drags that through wide mid on for a couple. Naseem gives chase
47.1
0
Shaheen Shah Afridi to RTM Mendis, no run, short of a length ball, on the stumps, defended towards cover

Raghav: "The question with several teams is also the incentive. There's no Test audience outside Australia and England. India is protected due to BCCI rules, IPL, and money. Players outside the big three don't have incentive to play 5-8 Tests a year for nothing, when they can earn more in 2 months in IPL, or even ILT20, MLC, SA20, etc. SL and WI, for example, have been preparing great T20 players, who disappear even during ODIs, forget Tests."

END OF OVER:
47 | (wicket maiden) | SL: 163/9

  • Dilshan Madushanka0 (4b)
  • Ramesh Mendis24 (35b)
  • Abrar Ahmed20-3-69-3
  • Shaheen Shah Afridi10-1-41-1
46.6
0
Abrar Ahmed to Madushanka, no run, floated up outside off, pushed towards cover
46.5
0
Abrar Ahmed to Madushanka, no run, pushed through into the pads. Madushanka goes back and blocks into the legside
46.4
0
Abrar Ahmed to Madushanka, no run, googly, pitched outside off, turning back in. Madushanka leaves it but that hasn't missed off stump by much
46.3
0
Abrar Ahmed to Madushanka, no run, big appeal for a caught behind. Umpire says no but Pakistan review almost immediately. This is a big-spinning legbreak, tossed up, pitching on off. It leaps off the surface into Sarfraz' gloves, but has it hit outside edge on the way? Nope, it's missed the bat by quite a distance

Debutant Dilshan Madushanka is the next player in.

46.2
W
Abrar Ahmed to AM Fernando, OUT, leaves it and it takes off stump! That's Abrar's googly. It's tossed up, pitching about six inches wide of off. Asitha thinks it's going to turn away harmlessly. It doesn't. It turns back in and hits the outside of off stump. Good bowling from Abrar, who saw that Asitha was leaving a few outside off, and also possibly knew that Asitha wasn't picking him from the hand.

AM Fernando b Abrar Ahmed 8 (32m 24b 2x4 0x6) SR: 33.33

46.1
0
Abrar Ahmed to AM Fernando, no run, floated up on the stumps, defended

END OF OVER:
46 | 6 Runs | SL: 163/8

  • Ramesh Mendis24 (35b)
  • Asitha Fernando8 (22b)
  • Shaheen Shah Afridi10-1-41-1
  • Abrar Ahmed19-2-69-2
45.6
4
Shaheen Shah Afridi to RTM Mendis, FOUR, in the slot for Mendis, and hammered over mid off. This is overpitched just outside off stump. Mendis plays a beautiful lofted drive and holds the pose
45.5
0
Shaheen Shah Afridi to RTM Mendis, no run, full toss- shin height, outside off. Pushed back to the bowler who fields it and makes a shy at the stumps, ends up hitting the batter's back leg. No dramas though as an apology comes straight away

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Sri Lanka 3rd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st69FDM KarunaratneKNM Fernando
2nd17FDM KarunaratneBKG Mendis
3rd13AD MathewsBKG Mendis
4th10AD MathewsLD Chandimal
5th22AD MathewsDM de Silva
6th10AD MathewsS Samarawickrama
7th36AD MathewsRTM Mendis
8th7AD MathewsNGRP Jayasuriya
9th4AD MathewsAM Fernando
10th0AD MathewsD Madushanka