PAK vs SL, 1st Day 4: Saqib’s seven keeps Pakistan alive on rain-hit day

Saqib Khan claimed seven wickets for Pakistan. | Photo Credit: AFP

Rain and bad light hit the first Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka after pacer Saqib Khan took seven wickets on debut to lead the home team’s fightback on Thursday.

Saqib grabbed an impressive 7-130 on an overcast morning in Rawalpindi to spark a Sri Lankan collapse which saw the tourist slumping from its overnight 404-4 to 446 all out.

Pakistan, which conceded a slender first innings lead of 12 runs, were 57-1 when bad light and then rain stopped play 45 minutes into the second session.

Opener Azan Awais and Mohammad Taha were the unbeaten batters with 22 and 24 respectively, with the home team now leading by 45 runs with nine wickets intact.

Pakistan had lost opener Tayyab Arif just before lunch, skittled lbw by Asitha Fernando for 11.

With more rain forecast for Friday, the Test is heading for a draw, leaving the series result on the second and final match, also in Rawalpindi from November 17.

It was Saqib who shone in the overcast morning session.

He started the collapse in the first over of the day when he bagged the prize wicket of centurion Dhananjaya de Silva, caught behind by Ghazi Ghori without adding to his overnight 167.

De Silva hit 20 fours in a 405-minute marathon knock and was soon joined back in the pavilion by Sri Lanka captain Kusal Mendis, who had also reached his hundred on day three.

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Kusal, who added 249 runs for the fifth wicket with De Silva, fell to Saqib for 119 in the fifth over after adding just two to his overnight score. He hit 10 fours and four sixes in five hours at the crease.

Sri Lanka lost its last six wickets for 42 runs and Saqib took his fifth when Sonal Dinusha (20) edged to slip.

Saqib then mopped up tail-enders Lahiru Kumara (0) and Asitha Fernando (four) to become only the fourth Pakistani to take seven wickets in an innings on debut.

The others were pace bowler Mohammad Zahid (7-66), off-spinner Mohammad Nazir (7-99) and leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed (7-114).