Dhananjaya de Silva and Angelo Mathews helped Sri Lanka to beat a top-order collapse and attain 242-6 on day one of many opening check towards Pakistan in Galle on Sunday.
Home captain Dimuth Karunaratne’s resolution to bat appeared to have backfired after Shaheen Afridi dealt three blows within the morning session and Sri Lanka slumped to 54-4.
De Silva, batting on 94, and Mathews then solid a 131-run partnership to regular the ship within the first match of the two-test sequence.
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Mathews fell on the stroke of tea after making 64, however De Silva went on to sew collectively one other 50-plus partnership with Sadeera Samarawickrama, who made 36 earlier than Agha Salman dismissed him with the ultimate supply of the day.
Earlier, Afridi made an emphatic return to check cricket after Sri Lanka elected to bat at a venue the place they’ve performed six of their final eight assessments, successful 4 of them.
Afridi had suffered a hamstring damage on the identical stadium final yr and the left-arm quick bowler didn’t have to attend lengthy to say his a hundredth check wicket.
In his second over, Afridi reached the milestone when he induced a thick edge from opener Nishan Madushka, who made 4, and Sarfaraz Ahmed took the catch behind the stumps.
Rain interrupted play after 5.5 overs however Afridi mowed down Sri Lanka’s high order after play resumed as Kusal Mendis (12) perished within the slip and Karunaratne (29) fell caught behind.
Naseem Shah dismissed Dinesh Chandimal, who made one, earlier than Mathews and de Silva bailed out Sri Lanka.
Abrar Ahmed eliminated Mathews with the ultimate supply earlier than the tea break however de Silva, who hit three sixes and 10 fours in his stellar knock, remained on target for his tenth check hundred.
Source: sportstar.thehindu.com