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Dhananjaya’s 141* Century Powers Sri Lanka FightbackSports
A century from Dhananjaya de Silva has dragged Sri Lanka back into the Rawalpindi Test, turning a shaky start into a genuine fightback against Pakistan.
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Dhananjaya de Silva completed a fighting century in Rawalpindi on Wednesday, turning Sri Lanka’s reply into a genuine fightback on the third day of the first Test against Pakistan. By the middle of the afternoon session, the visitors had reached 348 for 4, with de Silva unbeaten on 141 and captain Kusal Mendis not out on 90, cutting Pakistan’s lead to 86 runs.
The hundred was the reward for a morning of careful, determined batting. Sri Lanka had resumed on 114 for 3 and reached 221 for 4 at lunch, with de Silva on 87. Kamindu Mendis made 58 before edging Mohammad Abbas to wicketkeeper Ghazi Ghori, ending a fourth-wicket stand of 90, but the one wicket in the session could not slow the recovery.
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A reprieve that changed the day
De Silva had enjoyed a slice of luck early in his innings. On 38, he flashed at a delivery from Razaullah and was dropped by Saud Shakeel at slip, a sharp chance that went down. He made Pakistan pay in full, reaching his half-century and then his hundred with a string of boundaries through the off side, hitting 16 fours in all.
Kusal Mendis gave him ideal support after lunch. The Sri Lanka captain, who had been 21 not out at the interval, moved steadily to 90 from 148 balls, striking seven fours and three sixes, and the pair’s unbroken fifth-wicket stand passed 190. Between them, they carried Sri Lanka past the follow-on mark of 235 and deep into Pakistan’s first-innings total.
Pakistan had declared their first innings on 434 for 9 on the second day, with Saud Shakeel top-scoring on 93. Sri Lanka’s reply had started badly, losing three wickets before stumps on day two, and the tourists still trailed by 320 runs at that stage. Bad light had already cost around 45 overs across the first two days, and the home side will know that time is now as much an opponent as Sri Lanka’s batters.
The match is the first of a two-Test series and part of the World Test Championship. The second Test, from 17 to 21 November, has been moved from Lahore to Rawalpindi because of severe smog in Lahore. For now, though, the focus is on Rawalpindi, where de Silva’s century has taken the sting out of Pakistan’s attack and left the hosts needing quick wickets if they are to force a result.
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