SL vs PAK, 2nd Test, Day 5: Pakistan 231 and 188 for 5 (Babar 76*; Jayasuriya 3-86) needed one more 320 runs to win versus Sri Lanka 378 and 360 for 8 Dec.

Pakistan lost Imam-ul-Haq in the third over of the day, however at that point, with Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan at the crease, appeared to be cruising towards a draw. The pair were shaking along at more than 3.5 runs an over, with Sri Lanka’s spinners separating little from the pitch, and scarcely making even the half possibilities you would anticipate on a fifth day in Galle.

In the last half-hour before lunch, however, Ramesh Mendis and Prabath Jayasuriya suddenly brought the game to life. There were close lbw yells against Babar, deliveries that were starting to test both endlessly edges that were missing the mark regarding the nearby defenders,sometimes more than once an over.

With pressure having slid vigorously on Pakistan, they lost three wickets in about six overs. 

Rizwan was quick to go, leaving a Jayasuriya delivery that was calculated in from around the wicket. He didn’t exactly accept that this straighter ball had cut his off stump, and hung tight for affirmation from the third umpire, that he had, as a matter of fact, been bowled for 37 off 69.

Fawad Alam was then run-out in a horrible mix-up for which Babar was likely to be accused. Having made only an odd ball of his first eight balls, Fawad was quick to get off negative mark against Mendis. He hit a ball straight off mid-off and took off, anticipating that Babar should come through. 

Babar initially took a couple of strides, but looking over his shoulder, chose to send Fawad back despite the fact that his accomplice was around 3/4 of the way to the peril end. Asitha Fernando’s toss tracked down the keeper’s gloves, and Fawad was way off the mark to successfully return.

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Agha Salman then, at that point, played a tormented six-ball innings where it appeared to be that each and every other ball could get him out. He was out off what ended up being the last ball before lunch, as he played paddle sweep against Jayasuriya, and wound up only hitting the ball to Kusal Mendis at short leg, who had predicted the stroke and responded well to pocket it, plunging rapidly to his left.

Prior, after Imam had edged Mendis behind on 49, Babar and Rizwan had thrived square of the wicket. Having overturned a lbw decision against him on 34, Babar got to his 23rd Test fifty off the 71st ball he confronted. He shielded fearlessly however didn’t permit the bowlers to deliver long strings of dots to him..

Rizwan scored only through the leg side, meanwhile, hitting three of his six boundaries by means of his most useful stroke – the sweep. Only one of his 37 runs came on the off side.