SL vs PAK test:  A splendid unbeaten century from in-form opener Abdullah Shafique redirected the Galle Test and has Pakistan very much set ahead of day five.

Pakistan’s Abdullah Shafique crushed his second Test hundred to put the sightseers on course to achieve a mammoth pursuit against Sri Lanka in Galle.

Pakistan completed day four on 3-222 requiring 120 runs to snatch the lead in the two-Test series.

Sri Lanka had seemed to have the high ground in the challenge, posting 337 in their second innings, setting Pakistan an overwhelming target of 342. Shafique joined with Imam-ul-Haq (35) in an opening stand of 87 and later raised 101 with captain Babar Azam (55) in an immensely better batting show by the sightseers who were skittled out for 218 in the first innings.

Shafique’s unbeaten 112 contained five fours and a six and he had Mohammad Rizwan on seven at the opposite end at stumps.

In any case, Shafique and Imam didn’t look exceptionally persuasive when Pakistan started their pursuit. Imam was dropped at cover and had a lbw ruling against him reversed, while Shafique endured a strong-leg before appeal.

Imam’s innings ended in a strange manner when he played inside the line of a ball from spinner Ramesh Mendis then, after  holding his posture for a beat, stepped forward and possibly lifted his back foot as the all the while permitting Niroshan Dickwella to impact a lightning-quick befuddling.

It reviewed a comparative baffling by the Australian guardian Peter Nevill on Australia’s 2016 visit through Sri Lanka when the Aussie gloveman affected a close to indistinguishable excusal of Dimuth Karunaratne.

Sri Lanka appeared to be in the driver’s seat once again when Jayasuriya had Azhar Ali trapped in the slip for six.

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Babar, who crushed century in the principal innings, opened his record with a flicked four off Jayasuriya and hit the spinner over profound midwicket for a six in his next over as he breezed through 3000 Assessment runs for his profession.

Shafique took a single off Maheesh Theekshana to raise his hundred and praised the achievement by kissing his head protector and embracing his captain Babar.

Shafique set a new record for the most runs scored by a Pakistan player in their initial six Test matches, having passed fifty on six events in his 11 innings up until this point, remembering his maiden century against Australia for Rawalpindi recently.

Jayasuriya bowled Babar around his legs in the last meeting however Pakistan seemed to have their nose ahead in the challenge.
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