• Dinesh Chandimal still at the crease.
• Sri Lanka lead by 261 runs with three wickets in hand.
• No team has ever successfully chased more than 268 in Galle.

Sri Lanka lost five wickets after lunch as Yasir Shah and Mohammad Nawaz wreaked havoc on a pitch that was now producing quick turn and bounce, with Yasir in particular unleashing some magnificent legbreaks.

Sri Lanka scored 125 in 28 overs. By tea, they led 261. With Dinesh Chandimal at the crease and three wickets remaining, they may reach 300. Galle’s record is 268.

Sri Lanka’s strength was boosted by rapid partnerships. Oshada Fernando fell early to Yasir’s flighted, sharp-turning delivery. He had 64. Sri Lanka’s innings was restless thereafter.

Kusal Mendis reached 50 with Angelo Mathews, who added 32 off 49. Mendis smashed short balls but also swept flat and hard, occasionally to the boundary.

Both had five overs, however. Mathews was out top-edging a Nawaz delivery that bounced on him, before Mendis faced the greatest ball of the game – a quick-ish Yasir legbreak that pitched outside leg and twisted hard to beat his outside edge and remove off stump.

Dhananjaya de Silva, who used his feet to hit Yasir through the sightscreen, and Chandimal, who swiped both spinners, formed the session’s most courageous combination. Three sixes and two fours gave them 40 off 36.

Yasir’s superb delivery bowled de Silva. This pitch hit middle and leg, and the hitter couldn’t hit it. Off the thigh pad, he bowled 20 runs.

Niroshan Dickwella joined Chandimal for 17 off 19 before under-edging Nawaz’s reverse sweep into the pitch and stumps. Ramesh Mendis made 19 off 23 in tea. Chandimal had 34 off 49.

The afternoon’s intensity was built up by the match’s greatest first-set pair. Oshada and Kusal added 91 and exploited Pakistan’s bowlers’ indiscretion. Kusal batted on his back foot because of the short balls.

Oshada was more comfortable going forward, finding singles on both sides of the field. He sometimes hit monster smashes, notably blasting Yasir onto the sightscreen.

Most dependable bowler Nawaz had 4 for 74 at tea. Yasir went 3-93. The day’s quicks were seldom bowled, and the second session saw none. Naseem Shah is on the pitch but hasn’t played.

Also Read

‘I’m happy to get ICC player of the year award’, says Mohammad Rizwan

The winners of several players of the year honours have begun to...