Maria Imran 
Debut pace bowler Saqib Khan finished Day 2 of the first Test at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium with 2-54, helping Pakistan tighten their grip on the match. He removed Dinesh Chandimal for 1 and Lahiru Udara for 42, two key wickets in Sri Lanka’s reply.
Saqib Khan Makes a Strong Test Debut in Rawalpindi
Mohammad Abbas also struck early, dismissing opener Pasindu Sooriyabandara for a duck and finishing with 1-23. Sri Lanka ended the day on 114-3 after 27.1 overs, trailing by 320 runs.
Pakistan Build a Big First-Innings Total
Pakistan declared on 434-9 after 106.3 overs, a total that put the match firmly in their favour. Saud Shakeel top-scored with 93 before Asitha Fernando dismissed him, just short of a century, and Arafat Minhas added 52.
The innings follows a confident run of home form, including the batting highlighted in What Sparked Salman Ali Agha’s Triple Century?. Depth in the lower order allowed Pakistan to build a total that leaves Sri Lanka chasing the game.
Sri Lanka Resist but Face a Steep Task
Udara made 42, while Kamindu Mendis and Dhananjaya de Silva rebuilt the innings with an unbeaten 49-run partnership. Mendis was on 40 and de Silva on 22 when bad light forced an early finish.
Sri Lanka still needs 320 runs just to avoid the follow-on’s threat, which makes the third day crucial. Pakistan’s pace attack, led by a new debutant and an experienced Abbas, will aim for early breakthroughs, and consistent line and length would turn a strong position into a Test victory.
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