Watch: Babar Azam dismissed for 34 in PAK vs SL 1st Test in Rawalpindi as century drought continues

The century drought for the former captain of the Pakistan side, Babar Azam, continues as he was dismissed for just 34 runs in the second innings of the opening Test of the two-match series between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, which took place at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in Islamabad.  

Babar, just like the previous few occasions, looked in a good touch at the start of his knock before falling off towards in the middle after he got the start. That has become the usual way of him wating his starts in the middle as the pressure of no century climbed over his head.

Babar falls to a leg-side trap, caught at short leg off Milan Rathnayaka for 34 off 48 balls

It was the fifth delivery of the 37th over of the innings when Sri Lanka set a trap for the Pakistan batter, who fell for it badly. The Kusal Mendis-led side kept a strong leg-sided trap for Babar and pushed the batter to play the shot around his leg. And that made the batter tired of the plot.

Watch the dismisal here- 

It was a superb planning and execution from the visiting side. It displayed the start Babar got and wasted it again. He trudged back slowly to the pavilion. Lahiru Udana was placed at the leg gully region, and Babar picked him up perfectly. The credit should go to Milan Rathnayake.

See Also: Watch: Babar Azam dismissed for 50 during PAK vs SL 1st Test in Rawalpindi

The bowler bowled tight and held the straighter line and prompted Azam into the clip. It went a bit uppish and into the hands of the fielder, who grabbed a sharp catch to send the veteran back to the pavilion for 34 runs off 48 balls.

Pakistan lost four wickets in the Day 5 morning session

The home side posted a massive score of 434 runs for the loss of nine wickets in their first innings, thanks to the five half-centuries, led by the 93-run knock from Saud Shakeel, as the pressure increased on the visitors.

In reply, Sri Lanka were bundled out for 446 runs and could take a lead of only 12 runs, thanks to the 249-run partnership for the fifth wicket between the two centurions, captain Mendis and the former captain Dhananjaya de Silva.

See Also: Watch: Babar Azam hits back at Mohammad Yousuf over technique advice ahead of PAK vs SL Test

On the fifth day, Pakistan added more into and made their way to 209 runs for the loss of five wickets as Shakeel again celebrated his fifty in the second innings.

Brief Scores: Pakistan 434/9 dec (Saud Shakeel 93, Asitha Fernando 3/107) & 211/5 (Saud Shakeel 58, Saqib Khan 7/130) lead Sri Lanka 446 (Dhananjaya de Silva 167, Kusal Mendis 119, Saqib Khan 7/130) by 200 runs.