• Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka by four wickets in the opening Test of the two-match series.

  • Saud Shakeel was adjudged 'Player of the Match' for his brilliant double hundred.

Twitter reactions: Pakistan edge past Sri Lanka in the Galle Test
Saud Shakeel and Pakistan's Test team (Image Source: Twitter)

Pakistan emerged victorious against Sri Lanka in an exhilarating opening Test match of the two-match series by four wickets. With the win, the visitors have now gained an unassailable (1-0) lead over the Islanders.

Winning the toss and opting to bat first, Sri Lanka’s first innings saw an impressive batting display, with Angelo Matthews and Dhananjaya de Silva leading the charge. Matthews contributed 64 runs off 109 balls, while de Silva displayed remarkable determination, scoring a splendid 122 runs from 214 balls. However, the Pakistani bowlers managed to restrict the hosts’ innings to 312 runs, with Abrar Ahmed, Naseem Shah, and Shaheen Afridi each claiming three wickets.

In response, Pakistan’s batters showed their mettle and compiled a massive total of 461 runs. The highlight of their innings was Saud Shakeel’s brilliant double hundred. Shakeel was a rock-solid presence at the crease, scoring an incredible 208 runs off 361 balls. Following the exploit, Shakeel also became the first Pakistani cricketer to score a double ton on Sri Lankan soil. He was well supported by Agha Salman, who contributed 83 runs from 113 balls, propelling Pakistan to a significant lead. Ramesh Medis was the pick of the Sri Lankan bowlers and bagged a sensational fifer for 136 runs.

Trailing by a considerable margin, Sri Lanka needed a strong comeback in their second innings to put pressure on Pakistan. De Silva once again showcased his class, scoring a valuable 82 runs from 118 balls, while Nishan Madushka added 52 from 115 balls to Sri Lanka’s total. However, Pakistan’s bowlers managed to dismantle the Sri Lankan batting lineup and restricted them to 279 runs. Ahmed and Noman Ali both claimed three wickets for the visitors.

Chasing a relatively modest target of 133 runs, Pakistan faced some early hiccups, but Shakeel and Imam-ul-Haq steadied the ship. Shakeel added another impressive 30 runs from 38 balls to his tally, while Imam played a crucial knock of 50 runs from 84 balls, helping Pakistan reach the target with six wickets to spare.

Shakeel’s outstanding batting performance earned him the well-deserved ‘Player of the Match’ award.

Here’s how Twitter reacted:

https://twitter.com/RafiAmin20/status/1681910625520459778

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About the Author:
VISHWANATH HARIHARAN
Vishwanath Hariharan is Content Strategist at CricketTimes.com. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. From breaking news stories to in-depth features and opinion pieces, he has covered a wide range of topics. Vishwanath is very fond of watching cricket. Like many others, he too grew up watching, playing, and imitating his favourite players of the game. MS Dhoni is like a demigod to him. You can connect with him at vishwanath.hariharan@crickettimes.com and follow him on Twitter & Linkedin.