Saud Shakeel Stars With Unbeaten 91 as Pakistan Reach 390 Against Sri Lanka

Saud Shakeel played a calm and smart innings on Tuesday. He remained unbeaten on 91 as Pakistan reached 390 for six wickets at lunch on day two. The opening Test against Sri Lanka is being played at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

The middle-order batter showed great patience at the crease. His innings included nine boundaries. He did not take risks and chose his shots with care.

Saud Shakeel started the day with debutant Ghazi Ghori. The two batters had stayed together overnight and carried on their good work in the morning session.

Ghazi Ghori made 48 runs before he got out. It was a fine start to his Test career. He gave Pakistan useful support and added important runs to the total.

After his dismissal, Arafat Minhas joined Saud Shakeel in the middle. Minhas has made 27 runs so far. The pair is now trying to push the score higher after lunch.

Pakistan are in a strong position in this match. The home side has put a big total on the board. Sri Lanka will need to bowl well in the next session to fight back.

Let us look at what happened on day one. On Monday, Pakistan ended the day on 281 for five wickets. Four batters scored half-centuries, which gave the team a solid base.

Captain Babar Azam hit 50 runs. His knock gave the team stability and showed his class once again.

Two debutants also impressed everyone. Opener Tayyab Arif scored a fine 57. Mohammad Taha added a patient 51. Both players were playing their first Test match.

Saud Shakeel finished day one on 57 not out. Bad light stopped play 15 minutes before the scheduled time. Ghazi Ghori was unbeaten on seven at that point.

Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bowl first. The pitch looked green, so the choice made sense at first. However, it seems to have backfired.

The pitch did not offer much help to the fast bowlers. Pakistan batters were able to play their natural game and score steadily.

Sri Lanka also picked a pace quartet for this Test. They did not play a frontline spinner. This decision could prove costly as the match goes on.

Their bowlers have found it hard to take wickets. The Pakistan batting line-up has handled the attack with ease so far.

For Pakistan, the main positive is the form of their batters. Several players have contributed, and the team does not depend on one person alone.

Saud Shakeel has once again shown why he is valued in the middle order. His patience and shot selection have been the highlight of this innings.

Fans will now watch closely to see if he can reach a century. He is only nine runs away from the milestone, and the crowd will be hoping for it.

Pakistan will aim to bat for a little longer after lunch. A total of 450 or more would put huge pressure on Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka, on the other hand, must find a way to break this partnership. They need quick wickets to get back into the contest.

The second session will be important for both teams. It will show whether Pakistan can build on their lead or Sri Lanka can make a comeback.