Pakistan, Sri Lanka settle for draw after Saud Shakeel misses century in first Test

Pakistan and Sri Lanka played out a draw in the opening Test after the hosts declared their second innings at 284-8 on the final day at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Friday.

Saud Shakeel came agonisingly close to registering another Test century but fell for 97 as Pakistan extended their overall lead to 272 before both sides agreed to settle for a draw.

How did Pakistan strengthen their position on the final day?

Resuming the final day's play at 57-1, with a lead of 45 runs, Pakistan initially struggled against Sri Lanka's bowling attack as the visitors made regular breakthroughs.

Lahiru Kumara provided the first breakthrough by dismissing Azan Awais for 22, while Asitha Fernando sent Mohammad Taha back to the pavilion for 24.

Babar Azam and Shakeel attempted to stabilise the innings with a 50-run partnership, but Milan Rathnayake removed Babar for 34 before dismissing Salman Ali Agha for 13, leaving Pakistan struggling at 126-5.

Shakeel subsequently found support from Ghazi Ghori, with the pair adding 92 runs to push Pakistan's lead beyond 200.

The left-hander brought up his 13th Test half-century, while Ghori contributed 35 off 69 deliveries before Rathnayake ended their partnership.

Arafat Minhas then joined Shakeel and added 44 runs for the seventh wicket. However, Dhananjaya de Silva dismissed Minhas for 16, leaving Pakistan to continue their push towards a sizeable lead.

Why did Shakeel miss out on his fifth Test century?

Shakeel entered the final session needing just 19 runs to reach three figures, but Kumara denied him the milestone with a well-directed delivery that breached his defence.

The left-hander departed after scoring 97 from 210 balls, striking seven boundaries in a determined innings that helped Pakistan establish a comfortable position.

Razaullah remained unbeaten as Pakistan declared at 284-8 after 84.5 overs.

With insufficient time remaining for a realistic result, the two teams subsequently agreed to a draw.

How did Saqib Khan turn the match around for Pakistan?

Sri Lanka appeared well placed to take control after recovering from an early collapse in their first innings.

Responding to Pakistan's 434-9 declared, the visitors were reduced to 65-3 before Kamindu Mendis scored 58 and combined with Dhananjaya de Silva for a 90-run partnership.

De Silva and captain Kusal Mendis then dominated proceedings, sharing a remarkable 249-run stand. De Silva scored 167, while Kusal contributed 119 to put Sri Lanka in command.

However, debutant Saqib Khan inspired Pakistan's comeback on the fourth morning, claiming seven wickets for 130 runs as Sri Lanka were dismissed for 446, securing a narrow 12-run first-innings advantage.

Mohammad Abbas picked up two wickets, while Razaullah claimed one.

What set up Pakistan's first-innings total?

Pakistan had earlier declared their first innings at 434-9, with five batters registering half-centuries.

Shakeel led the scoring with 93 off 199 deliveries, while Tayyab Arif contributed an aggressive 57 from 51 balls.

Debutants Arafat Minhas and Mohammad Taha scored 52 and 51 respectively, while Babar added 50 off 58 deliveries.