Pakistan’s gritty Shakeel again misses out on a century in drawn test against Sri Lanka

Saud Shakeel missed out on a century for the second successive time but his gritty 97 foiled Sri Lanka's push for a win on the fifth and final day in the drawn first cricket test against Pakistan on Friday. It was the first drawn game for Pakistan in its disappointing campaign in this World Test Championship cycle, losing seven and winning two of its previous nine test matches.

Shakeel, who made 93 in Pakistan's first innings of 434-9 declared, dug in for almost entire final day before he was bowled by Lahiru Kumara after facing 210 balls late on the fifth and final day. By that time, the home team had reached 284-8 for an overall lead of 272 as the players shook hands and the match was called off.

Milan Rathnayake (3-47), Asitha Fernando (2-35) and Kumara (2-65) had given Sri Lanka a sniff before Shakeel stood firm and saved Pakistan from going down in the two-test series. The second test will be played at the same Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium from next Tuesday after it was relocated to Rawalpindi due to increase in the smog level at Lahore.

Steely Shakeel stands firmPakistan's batters had stumbled against Sri Lanka captain Kusal Mendis' innovative field setting in the first session which was disrupted by 20-minute stoppage of play due to bad light.

Skipper Babar Azam scored 34 and Salman Ali Agha made 13 before both fell into Mendis' fielding trap and offered catches at short backward square leg on a second successive overcast morning at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, where 117 overs were lost due to bad light and rain during the first four days.

Pakistan, which curtailed the Sri Lankan first-innings lead to 12 on the back of an inspiring seven-wicket debut by fast bowler Saqib Khan, led by just 139 runs at lunch and had given Sri Lanka a chance. Resuming on 57-1, Pakistan had a disastrous start to the final day when both overnight batters, Azan Awais and Mohammad Taha, were dismissed without adding to their scores of 22 and 24, respectively.

Awais flashed hard at Kumara's first ball and was caught at slips while Fernando's delivery seamed enough to get the outside edge of Taha's bat from the other end. Babar added 50 runs with the defiant Shakeel and struck six boundaries with his trademark cover drives and straight drives but yet again couldn't convert a good start into big innings as his century drought in test matches was extended to 42 innings.

Babar also survived two chances. Kamindu Mendis grassed a regulation chance in the second slip when Babar was on 22 and then had a close lbw call go in his favor on an umpire's call before he fell into Mendis' trap and gave a simple catch to Lahiru Udara.

Rathnayake executed the fielding plan well with another short ball to Agha and Pasindu Sooriyabandara brought up a spectacular catch before Shakeel and Ghori stood firm.