Sri Lanka take control despite Patrons XI fightback on second day of practice match
The visitors, who had declared their first innings at 223-7 on the opening day, held an overall lead of 193 runs at stumps, with four wickets remaining
Zaid Hassan
Producer
Zaid Hassan, a seasoned sports journalist, led Cricket Pakistan as editor for four years, shaping its coverage with insightful analysis. Now a producer at Nukta, he expands into broader storytelling while remaining a key voice in Pakistan’s sports media.
Sri Lanka's Milan Rathnayake was unbeaten on 27, while Kesar Navantha was yet to open his account when play ended on second day of the practice match on Thursday in Islamabad.
PCB
Sri Lanka strengthened their position against Patrons XI on the second day of their three-day practice match, reaching 121-6 in their second innings at the Islamabad Club on Thursday.
The visitors, who had declared their first innings at 223-7 on the opening day, held an overall lead of 193 runs at stumps, with four wickets remaining.
Milan Rathnayake was unbeaten on 27, while Kesar Navantha was yet to open his account when play ended.
Shoaib Akhtar Junior led the bowling effort for Patrons XI, claiming three wickets. Ubaid Shah and Saqib Khan chipped in with one wicket apiece.
How did Patrons XI respond with the bat?
Patrons XI resumed their first innings at 43-2, with Azan Awais and Mohammad Taha looking to build on their unbeaten partnership from the previous evening.
Awais continued his resistance and went on to register a half-century, scoring 50 runs to provide some stability to the home side's innings.
Tayyab Arif also made a useful contribution, adding 30 runs, while Mohammad Taha scored 29.
However, Patrons XI could not build a substantial total and eventually declared their innings at 151-8, conceding a 72-run first-innings deficit.
Dilshan Madushanka and Milan Rathnayake had provided Sri Lanka with an early advantage on the opening day by dismissing Abdullah Fazal and Sameer Minhas cheaply.
What happened in Sri Lanka's second innings?
Sri Lanka returned to the crease with a 72-run advantage and looked to extend their lead against a determined Patrons XI bowling attack.
However, Shoaib Akhtar Junior's three-wicket haul prevented the visitors from establishing complete control.
Ubaid Shah and Saqib Khan also struck once each as Sri Lanka lost six wickets before stumps.
With Rathnayake and Navantha remaining at the crease, Sri Lanka will look to extend their advantage on the final day and strengthen their position in the practice fixture.
How did Sri Lanka recover on the opening day?
Sri Lanka had struggled at 40-3 before Lahiru Udara (65) and Kusal Mendis (66) revived the innings with a 90-run partnership.
Their contributions helped the visitors reach 223-7 before declaring, setting up an interesting contest heading into the second day.
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