Sri Lanka vs Pakistan 1st Test: Opener Abdullah Shafique was 112 not out and leading Pakistan at 222-3 in its chase of 342 to beat Sri Lanka in the first test at Galle Stadium on Tuesday.

The fourth day would have belonged completely to Pakistan however commander Babar Azam was out six overs from the end for 55 after the best partnership of the match.

That provided Sri Lanka with a sniff of hope that they still have a chance to win, yet the odds were with Pakistan, which needed 120 additional runs with seven wickets in hand and an entire day.

“Happy to score my second hundred in the fourth innings chasing a big target on a pitch that has helped spin, But the bigger picture is seeing off the run chase. I have seen a lot of games in Galle and it’s not easy to chase big targets here. We knew once we tackled (Prabath) Jayasuriya well, we could handle other spinners. I had a few options against him and it worked. It was important for us to have shorter goals and we have done everything right.”

Shafique said

The highest successful run pursued in Galle is 268 and Pakistan approached accomplishing the far-fetched showing assurance and expertise on a pitch that slowed down and needed bob.

Sri Lanka made it easy with poor field placements. Regardless of having nearly 350 runs to safeguard, the host spread the field from the get-go in Pakistan’s innings and the players were glad to knock off the singles and set up a strong foundation.

The openers consolidated for 87 runs and the beginning Pakistan required, in spite of the fact that Sri Lanka asserted the wickets of Imam-ul-Haq (35) and Azhar Ali (6) one after another.

First-innings century-maker Babar added 101 runs for the third wicket with Shafique to assist Pakistan seize the initiative.

Shafique was unbeaten at stumps having batted for nearly six hours. He’d confronted 289 deliveries and hit only five fours and one six.

The second century of Shafique’s six-test career could be a game dominating one. There was an apprehensive second when he was on 4 and a loud lbw yell was turned down. The Sri Lankans checked on and Shafique was narrowly saved.

Spinner Jayasuriya, Sri Lanka’s main weapon, broke the partnership when he inspired one to turn from the rough outside Babar’s leg stump and the ball cut the off stump bail a lot to Babar’s bewilderment. A superior protective shot utilising his feet might have saved him.

Vice-captain Mohammad Rizwan, 7 not out, joined Shafique and the pair guaranteed there could have been no further hiccups.

The series is being played amidst a financial and political crisis engulfing Sri Lanka.

The second test, set to begin on Sunday, was changed from Colombo to Galle in light of the fact that Sri Lanka Cricket chose not to take any risks with expected political fights in the capital.

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The venue switch was confirmed on Monday around the time Ranil Wickremesinghe pronounced a highly sensitive situation. He became acting president last week after Gotabaya Rajapaksa escaped abroad and surrendered after months-long mass fights over the country’s financial breakdown.

SLC had to defer the Lanka Premier League which was planned for the following month because of the financial emergency. Authorities likewise conceded the Asia Cup they were booked to have in late August is slipping away from them because of the emergency.