Pakistan made an encouraging start to the fourth day of the Rawalpindi Test as Saqib Khan Rawalpindi Test bowling heroics helped the home side put pressure on Sri Lanka’s batting lineup. The fast bowler dismissed Dhananjaya de Silva and Kusal Mendis in the opening stages of the morning session, giving Pakistan an opportunity to regain control after Sri Lanka had built a strong position on the previous day.
Sri Lanka resumed their first innings at 404 for four, with their experienced batters looking to strengthen their advantage. However, Saqib struck in the very first over, removing De Silva without allowing him to add to his overnight score.
The early breakthrough was particularly important for Pakistan because De Silva had played a major role in putting Sri Lanka in a commanding position.
Saqib Khan Removes Dhananjaya de Silva
Dhananjaya de Silva was one of Sri Lanka’s most important performers on the third day, producing an impressive innings of 167 runs. His patient batting helped the visitors recover and build a substantial total against Pakistan’s bowling attack.
He also formed a significant partnership with captain Kaushal Mendis, with the pair adding 249 runs together. Their stand created serious difficulties for Pakistan and reduced the home team’s chances of restricting Sri Lanka to a manageable first-innings total.
De Silva’s dismissal in the opening over of day four therefore provided Pakistan with a valuable breakthrough. His departure ended a major partnership and gave the home side renewed confidence.
The Saqib Khan Rawalpindi Test performance became even more important when the bowler struck again shortly afterwards.
Kusal Mendis Falls After Scoring 117
Sri Lanka captain Kusal Mendis had also been in excellent form during the previous day’s play. He remained unbeaten on 117 runs at the close of the third day and was expected to continue leading the visitors towards a first-innings advantage.
However, his stay at the crease ended early on the fourth morning when Saqib dismissed him after adding just two runs to his overnight score.
The wicket was a major boost for Pakistan, as Mendis had been central to Sri Lanka’s batting effort. His dismissal left the visitors needing to rebuild their innings with the remaining batters.
With two important wickets falling early, Pakistan had an opportunity to make further progress and prevent Sri Lanka from extending their lead.
Sri Lanka Need 22 Runs for First-Innings Lead
Following the early dismissals, Sri Lanka needed only 22 more runs to move ahead of Pakistan’s first-innings total, with four wickets still remaining.
The visitors had resumed at 404 for four, while Pakistan had declared their first innings at 434 for nine. This meant Sri Lanka were close to securing a narrow lead, but Pakistan’s early strikes had made the contest more competitive.
The remaining Sri Lankan batters faced the challenge of reaching the target while protecting their wickets against Pakistan’s fast bowlers.
The Saqib Khan Rawalpindi Test spell demonstrated how quickly the situation could change, even after a strong batting performance on the previous day.
Pakistan’s Fast Bowlers Lead the Attack
Pakistan’s specialist fast bowlers have been responsible for all the Sri Lankan wickets in the innings so far. Saqib Khan had taken four wickets, while Mohammad Abbas had claimed two.
Their performances highlighted the importance of pace bowling in the match, particularly as Pakistan looked to break partnerships and prevent Sri Lanka from building an even bigger total.
There were also questions surrounding Pakistan’s bowling resources. Razaullah, who made his debut in the final match of the series against England, has experience in only 10 first-class matches.
Similarly, all-rounder Arafat Minhas was included in the team as a specialist spinner but had taken only 22 wickets in 17 first-class matches.
These figures underline the relatively limited first-class experience of some members of the bowling group compared with established international performers.
Pakistan’s First-Innings Performance
Pakistan declared their first innings at 434 for nine after receiving useful contributions from several batters.
Saud Shakeel top-scored with 93 runs, narrowly missing a century. Tayyab Arif contributed 57, while Arafat Minhas scored 52. Muhammad Taha also made 51 runs, and captain Babar Azam added another half-century with 50.
These contributions helped Pakistan post a competitive total and gave their bowlers a platform to challenge Sri Lanka.
For the visitors, Asitha Fernando and Dilshan Madushanka were among the leading performers with the ball, taking three wickets each.
Rawalpindi Test Remains Competitive
The fourth day began with Pakistan gaining momentum through Saqib Khan’s early breakthroughs. Removing both De Silva and Mendis was a significant achievement after their influential partnership had placed Sri Lanka in a strong position.
Although Sri Lanka remained close to taking a first-innings lead, Pakistan had renewed hopes of restricting the visitors and keeping the match competitive.
The Saqib Khan Rawalpindi Test performance will be an important part of Pakistan’s efforts to fight back. With four Sri Lankan wickets remaining and only 22 runs needed for a lead, the next phase of play could prove crucial in determining the direction of the match.
