Pakistan revel in belated homecoming as Sri Lanka attempt to spoil the party

SM HUSSAIN AT THE RAWALPINDI CRICKET STADIUM: The hosts have plenty to celebrate on day one after taking five first-innings wickets, as Test cricket returned with much fanfare

Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium (day one of five): Sri Lanka 202-5 v Pakistan

When the sun rose at dawn in Rawalpindi, it welcomed no ordinary day but a particularly special one for Pakistan – Test cricket was making a comeback after a 10-year absence.

Fittingly, the last team to feature in a Test on these shores, Sri Lanka, returned to mark the occasion.

It was also a big day for the two debutants – Usman Shinwari and Abid Ali. Ali said: “It is an honor that I’m making my Test debut in my country.” 

On a wicket with a green tinge and underneath mellow sunshine, Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne opted to bat after winning the toss. It was a prudent start from the tourists and Oshanda Fernando left us in no doubt when he took 20 balls to open his account.  

Usman Shinwari has a habit of bowling well with a white ball against Sri Lanka, but today luck wasn’t on his side. He bowled an in-swinger to Karunaratne and he shouldered his arms, the bowled kissed the stump but not dislodging the bail. 

Rising from the dead – Test cricket in Pakistan

At the time, Karunaratne was on 31. He made use of his good fortune and played a captain’s knock, looking particularly solid on the leg side. Most of his boundaries came between mid-wicket and fine-leg area. 

Pakistan bowling wasn’t erratic, but it lacked penetration as Sri Lanka (89 for 0) dominated the first session. 

The hosts' bowlers came out all guns blazing after the interval and made a good comeback in the second session by taking four cheap scalps and conceding only 48 runs. Karunaratne (59) was the first one to go back in the hutch when Shaheen Afridi’s quick ball thumped into his pad. 

He gave a solid foundation to the Sri Lankan innings, but the flurry of wickets that followed his dismissal negated the early advantage. 

The fast bowling quartet – Mohammad Abbas, Afridi, Shinwari, and Naseem Shah took one wicket each in that session – restricting Sri Lanka for 137 for 4 at tea. 

^{Pakistan could celebrate five Sri Lankan wickets on day one}

Abbas is playing his fourth Test in 2019 and before this match he had taken only five wickets at a massive average of above 60. But today he showed a glimpse of his old mojo when he bowled an absolute peach of a delivery to Chandimal, his grunt afterwards was so vociferous that everyone in the stadium could hear it. The ball pitched in the middle and swung out to beat the defense of Chandimal’s bat and hit his off-stump. 

A 62-run partnership between Angelo Mathews and Dhananjaya de Silwa did the recovery work. Mathews was batting nicely until he went for an extravagant drive off Shah, the ball finding the edge and landing straight into Shafiq’s safe hands in the second slip. He made 31 off 77 balls. 

Bad light stopped play in the 69th over and umpires eventually called-off the rest of the play with Sri Lanka 202 for 5 – both teams believing that they’re in the game. 

A fascinating day two in prospect, but according to the forecast, rain could be a spoilsport. But even that won't wash away the momentousness of the occasion.

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