Sri Lanka vs Pakistan 1st Test Match Commentary: Nippon Paints Cup SL vs Pak Test Series

11.41am  Right then. That's it from the coverage of this game. These two sides will meet again on 24th July for the second and the final Test match of the series. The first ball will be at 10 am IST (4.30 am GMT). But as you all know you can join us early for the build-up. Until then, take care and goodbye!

11.36am  Babar Azam, the skipper of Pakistan is in for a quick word as well. He says that when you win it gives you a lot of confidence. Credits the team especially the youngsters. Adds that they lost early wickets but the partnership between Agha and Shakeel completely changed the game. Mentions that Agha showed his skills with both bat and ball while Shakeel was outstanding. Ends by saying as a skipper, he is very happy and impressed with the performance.

11.32am  Dimuth Karunaratne, the captain of Sri Lanka is in for a chat. He says that they needed to see off that opening spell but lost early wickets and that hurt them a lot. Says that they bowled well in patches, but started leaking runs. Informs that their bowlers have done really well but need to step their game up as a fielding unit. States that he really enjoyed the way Dhananjaya de Silva batted and hopes the other batters could learn from this knock as well.

11.31am  Saud Shakeel wins the Player of the Match award for his exceptional double-century. He thanks almighty for giving him this opportunity to score a double hundred. He says that the plan was simple and he was looking to build up a partnership at that moment. Adds that he wanted to be positive and play his sweeps and reverse-sweeps to not let the bowlers get control. Mentions that he is from Karachi so he has come across a lot of spinners but he likes to face the fast bowlers as well and he has worked hard to better his skills.

11.31am  Stay tuned for the presentation...

11.30am  It was a much better outing for Sri Lanka with the bat on the second go. One could say that it was a much more collective effort than the first one, where only two players stood out. Although, this time there was not a single player who could get into the three-digit score, but they did manage to extend their lead to over 100-runs which did not prove to be too much for Pakistan to chase down.

11.27am  For Sri Lanka, it was Prabath Jayasuriya who picked three quick wickets early but they just couldn't build on that and lacked the sharpness in the filed as well dropping a few chances. However, once again it was their inability to get through the tail-enders cost them. Ramesh Mendis did pick up a five-wicket haul while Vishwa Fernando and Kasun Rajitha chipped in with one each, but the damage was already done by then.

11.26am  In reply, Pakistan managed to get 461 runs, but were in early trouble as their top order didn't contribute much except for Shan Masood. However, it was the huge 177-run stand between Agha Salman and Saud Shakeel that took them out of a difficult situation as they were struggling at 101-5 at one point. The former missed out on his century but Shakeel was solid as ever and registered a magnificent maiden double hundred. Their lower order contributed well to as they ended up with a lead of 149 runs.

11.19am  Earlier in the match, Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to bat first. Although, it was not really a solid outing for them with the blade. It was Dhananjaya de Silva's ton and Angelo Mathews' half-century that helped the hosts to post a decent total on the board. For Pakistan it was a complete team performance. Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah and Abrar Ahmed took three wickets each and did most of the damage in the first inning.

11.16am  All that Sri Lanka required coming into Day 5, was some luck and inspiration. Well, they found an inspiration in Prabath Jayasuriya, although the rub of the green wasn't really on their side. Prabath Jayasuriya picked up four wickets in total, but apart from him it was only Ramesh Mendis who got into the wicket's column. There was not mcuh to fight for, on the morning of Day 5, but Sri Lanka did give their best when they were out on the field.

11.12am  Pakistan needed only 83 runs to get over the line at the start of Day 5, and they surely did not waste any time this morning. We all thought that the ball would do most of the talking on the final day, but the Pakistan batters came prepared, used their feet a lot so that they can deal with the deadly spin. Eventually, it was just a walk in the park for the visitors. Imam-ul-Haq made his half-century, with some ease and helped his side get over the line. Saud Shakeel's cameo really helped them to end things quickly here.

11.08am  Pakistan have taken a 1-0 lead in this two Test series down in Sri Lanka. They came, they saw and they conquered. A well-fought victory by the visiting side under tough coditions. Staffs and players are exchanging hugs in the Pakistan dressing room.

11.03am  Agha Salman comes out to the middle now.

OUT! CAUGHT! Prabath Jayasuriya picks his fourth wicket. He has certainly made the most of the bowling conditions here. It is tossed up, on off. Sarfaraz Ahmed goes for the sweep shot to find the boundary, but only manages to find the fielder in the deep, as he miscues his slog sweep. Kusal Mendis takes a sharp catch diving forward.
Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk) c K Mendis b P Jayasuriya 1 (10b 0x4 0x6)

10.48am  Drinks! Pakistan are on the verge of victory now as they have managed this chase really well on this difficult surface. Sri Lanka got the breakthrough but it is too little too late for them. Also, Sarfaraz Ahmed is the next man in.

OUT! CAUGHT BEHIND! Ramesh Mendis with a peach of a delivery to get rid of Saud Shakeel who was certainly taking on the Sri Lanka bowling attack. Ramesh Mendis serves a full one, around off, that comes in with the arm. The ball though turns away sharply from the bat of Saud Shakeel, only to get nicked. Sadeera Samarawickrama takes a sharp catch.
Saud Shakeel c S Samarawickrama b R Mendis 30 (38b 6x4 0x6)

10.11am  Who walks in now? It will be Saud Shakeel.

OUT! LBW! Prabath Jayasuriya strikes! Just what Sri Lanka needed as they are delighted to see the back of Babar Azam. This is nicely tossed up, full and on middle, angles in without any turn, Babar Azam prods forward to block as he expects the turn away, but plays completely down the wrong line to get hit on the pads in front of the stumps. There is a huge appeal for LBW, and up goes the finger. Babar Azam takes the review, but UltraEdge shows no bat involved and Ball Tracking indicates three reds. Pakistan four down now!
Babar Azam (c) lbw P Jayasuriya 24 (28b 5x4 0x6)

9.48am  Prabath Jayasuriya to share the attack.

9.44am  Day 5 all set to begin! The players are making their way out to the middle now. Babar Azam and Imam-ul-Haq stride out to bat for Pakistan. Ramesh Mendis to start proceedings with the ball. Here we go...

8.55am  Sri Lanka, on the other hand, have mostly played catch-up to the visitors and it is their batting and catching that has let them down massively. Dhananjaya de Silva once again fought bravely without much support from the other end except for a half-century from Nishan Madushka and good contribution from Ramesh Mendis, but they knew that their bowlers didn't have plenty to play with. However, Prabath Jayasuriya and Mendis were excellent and made things somewhat interesting as the former picked up a couple of wickets while they also forced a run out before stumps on Day 4. Still they need something really special from someone to get the win here. Will the be able to pull off the unthinkable? Or will Pakistan take a 1-0 lead? We will find out soon.

8.52am  Pakistan have been better than the hosts in most of the sessions and that is why they are ahead in the game. On Day 4, Nauman Ali, Abrar Ahmed and Agha Salman took full advantage of the spinning conditions while Shaheen Afridi used the second new ball effectively to bowl the Lankans out and stopped them from setting a big target. However, they knew that chasing 131 runs also wasn't going to be easy on this track and lost three wickets including Ali who came out as the night watchman, but they do have Babar Azam and Imam-ul-Haq at the middle who could use their experience to get them over the line.

8.50am  Hello and a warm welcome folks! The fifth and final Day of this gripping first Test between Sri Lanka and Pakistan is not too far away and we are guaranteed to get a result either way. Even though rain played a huge part, this game moved at a good pace and the equation is simple now as Pakistan need 83 runs while Sri Lanka require the remaining 7 wickets to win the Test.

8.49am  ... DAY 5, SESSION 1 ...

6.11pm  Right then, that is it from an exciting Day 4 where the hosts tried their level best to make a match out of this but Pakistan still has the resources to finish this off. The fifth and final Day will start at 9.45 am IST (4.15 am GMT), but you can join us early for the build-up. Cheers.

6.11pm  Pakistan, on the other hand, will be happy with how things went. Their spin duo of Nauman Ali and Abrar Ahmed shared six wickets between them while Agha Salman got two as well with Shaheen Afridi providing good support. However, they struggled to get rid of Dhananjaya de Silva or else they would have been chasing something under a 100. Once they got him out, it took them less than 6 overs to bowl the hosts out. While chasing, Pakistan scored the runs but lost three wickets as well but they are still the favorite to win this game with Babar Azam and Imam-ul-Haq at the crease.

6.09pm  Sri Lanka started with both their openers finding the boundaries at a good rate but once their skipper Dimuth Karunaratne got dismissed, they weren't able to build up partnerships and kept losing wickets at regular intervals. However, it was Dhananjaya de Silva once again for them who stood out with a brilliant 82 while good contributions from Ramesh Mendis and Dinesh Chandimal helped them give their bowlers something to have a go at. Their bowlers were on point right from the start and with the pitch turning a lot, spinners were always going to be crucial. Prabath Jayasuriya led from the front with two wickets while another one fell to run out. The hosts know that they don't have many runs to play with and will need to make early inroads on Day 5.

6.04pm  A riveting Day of Test cricket comes to an end! Sri Lanka showed good fight and resilience but it is the visitors who have a firm grip on this game. The equation is simple as Pakistan need 83 runs to win while the hosts need something extraordinary to happen to turn this game in their favor.

5.53pm  Babar Azam comes out to the middle now.

OUT! RUN-OUT! OH DEAR ME, What have they done in the middle. The night watchman has to walk back as he has been run out at the non-striking end looking to take an extra run. Tossed up around middle, Imam-ul-Haq flicks this towards the deep square leg region and runs a single but Imam-ul-Haq calls for the second and Nauman Ali just ran to sacrifice his wicket here. A brain-fade moment dismisses Nauman Ali from the middle. Ramesh Mendis chose the correct end to throw as Nauman Ali was no where near the crease.
Nauman Ali run out (Ramesh Mendis / Prabath Jayasuriya) 0 (7b 0x4 0x6)

5.43pm  Nauman Ali comes out as the nighwatchman.

OUT! DEFLECTION OF HIS BAT ONTO THE PADS AND GONE! Tossed up around middle, Shan Masood advances down the ground as he looks to block this but gets an edge onto his pads and straight in the hands of Nishan Madushka at short fine leg for his dismissal.
Shan Masood c N Madushka b P Jayasuriya 7 (11b 1x4 0x6)

5.26pm  Shan Masood walks out to bat at number 3.

OUT! CAUGHT BEHIND! Prabath Jayasuriya draws first blood! Sri Lanka have an early breakthrough! This is flatter, full and on off, turns away sharply, Abdullah Shafique prods forward to defend but only manages to get a very thin edge behind where Sadeera Samarawickrama lets it through his gloves but the ball gets stuck between his thighs. The umpire gives out after some time but Shafique takes the review. However, UltraEdge confirms the edge and Pakistan lose their first wicket and the review as well.
Abdullah Shafique c S Samarawickrama b P Jayasuriya 8 (18b 1x4 0x6)

5.03pm  Ramesh Mendis to share the attack.

4.57pm  We are back for the chase! The players are out in the middle now. Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq are the two openers for Pakistan. Vishwa Fernando has the new ball in hand and is raring to go...

4.57pm  ... FOURTH INNINGS ...

4.54pm  Sri Lanka, on the other hand, will not be happy with their effort as it many of their batters got starts but could not convert them. Nishan Madushka scored a fifty but never really looked settle and it was once again Dhananjaya de Silva who fought like a lone warrior for the hosts and at least gave their bowlers something to bowl about. DDS was the top-scorer 82 runs while Ramesh Mendis also chipped in with a well-made 42 which has helped them to set this target. However, they will need something really special from their bowlers to defend it.

4.53pm  131 IS THE TARGET FOR PAKISTAN! They were pretty good with the ball right from the start and it was their spinner who got the crucial breakthroughs in the middle. Nauman Ali started things off by getting rid of Dimuth Karunaratne and finished with three wickets while Abrar Ahmed supported him well with three as well. Agha Salman got two important wickets as well but they were not able to break through the defense of DDS who continued his good form. Their catching though was absolutely amazing which has been a key factor in this Test. However, after taking the second new ball, Shaheen Afridi removed him and wrapped up things for them.

OUT! It's a wrap as Pakistan have bundled out Sri Lanka for 279 in the second innings. Tossed up delivery wide of off, turning away from the batter, Kasun Rajitha looks to cut it but gets a top edge lofting this in the hands of the Shan Masood at point for a simple catch.
Kasun Rajitha c S Masood b A Ahmed 5 (3b 1x4 0x6)

4.42pm  It is time for the final drinks break of the day. Pakistan have breezed past the Lankan batting lineup and are now on the verge on inflicting an all-out on the Sri Lanka side. The lead is not a massive one to this point and the last pair would be looking to add something to the total.

OUT! TAKEN! Another one bites the dust! Shaheen Afridi gets his man this time! He bangs this short and around off, Prabath Jayasuriya backs away again to clear the in-field but is in two minds and ends up just stabbing at it as the ball spoons towards mid off where Shan Masood takes a dolly. Sri Lanka nine down now!
Prabath Jayasuriya c S Masood b S Afridi 10 (11b 2x4 0x6)

4.36pm  Vishwa Fernando walks out next.

OUT! EDGED AND GONE! Shaheen Afridi strikes now! He gets the huge wicket of Dhananjaya de Silva and this looks like the last nail in the coffin for Sri Lanka. Shaheen Afridi lands this on a good length from 'over the wicket, on off, angling away, Dhananjaya de Silva stays there and tries to push at it away from his body without any footwork, and only manages to nick it behind where Sarfaraz Ahmed makes no mistaken. Another hard-fought knock from DDS, but he has to go back as Afridi has the last laught.
Dhananjaya de Silva c S Ahmed b S Afridi 82 (118b 10x4 2x6)

4.28pm  The Second New Ball is available now and Pakistan are taking it straightaway. Also, Shaheen Afridi (11-0-45-0) is back on.

4.22pm  Prabath Jayasuriya walks out next.

OUT! LBW! Abrar Ahmed finally gets the breakthrough for Pakistan! The huge partnership breaks now. This is nicely tossed up, full and on middle, turns away a shy bit, Ramesh Mendis pre-meditates the sweep and goes for it, but this it too full and he plays over it and gets hit on the pads. There is an appeal for the LBW, and up goes the finger. Mendis takes the review but UltraEdge confirms no bat involved and Ball Tracking shows three reds. Sri Lanka lose their seventh and the review as well!
Ramesh Mendis lbw A Ahmed 42 (79b 3x4 1x6)

3.36pm  Naseem Shah to share the attack.

3.32pm  We are back for the final session!

3.32pm  ... DAY 4, SESSION 3 ...

3.16pm  SESSION SUMMARY - 116 runs and 3 wickets in 32 overs. A fine session of Test cricket! Both sides went hard at each other but at the moment Pakistan are a bit ahead in the game. Nishan Madushka got to his fifty but got out just after Lunch while Dhananjaya de Silva and Dinesh Chandimal steadied things for a bit. However, a brilliant catch from Imam-ul-Haq for rid of the latter on the bowling Agha Salman while Abdullah Shafique took a blinder at short leg to dismiss Sadeera Samarawickrama once again in a similar fashion as Salman picked up his second wicket. After that, DDS changed gears and started scoring at a quick rate and got good support from Ramesh Mendis too. He registered his fifty and helped the hosts take a lead of 61 runs, and everything now depends on how he manages with the tail-enders to set a decent target for the visitors. Pakistan, on the other hand, will look to quickly wrap up things in the next session and chase it down to win the Test as there is a lot of time left in this match. Join us at 3.30 pm IST (10 am GMT) to see how things pan out in the final session.

2.24pm  Ramesh Mendis comes out to the middle now.

OUT! TAKE A BOW, Abdullah Shafique TAKES A BLINDER TO REMOVE Sadeera Samarawickrama. Tossed up delivery around the middle, Sadeera Samarawickrama advances down the ground and looks to flick this to the on side but Abdullah Shafique anticipated well and shuffles to his right taking a one-hander low stunner standing at short fine leg. Abdullah Shafique betters the effort from Imam-ul-Haq from the first innings and by some margin. Pakistan have been nothing but sensational in the field throughout the game.
Sadeera Samarawickrama (wk) c A Shafique b A Salman 11 (11b 2x4 0x6)

2.13pm  Sadeera Samarawickrama is the next man in.

OUT! IN THE AIR AND GONE! Another stunner earns the visitors a wicket here. Just when the gear was shifting for the hosts, Pakistan strikes again. Tossed up delivery closer to the stance of the batter, Dinesh Chandimal misreads it and looks to flick it towards the on side but ends up lifting it uppishly to the left of Imam-ul-Haq at short mid-wicket. Imam-ul-Haq dives to low to his left and takes a beauty to miss Dinesh Chandimal. The fielding and catching of the visitors have been on point in this game so far and it is proving to be very fruitful for them.
Dinesh Chandimal c Imam-ul-Haq b A Salman 28 (64b 3x4 0x6)

2.11pm  Is that a catch? It looks like Imam-ul-Haq has taken a brilliant catch but the umpires wants to make sure and sends it upstairs. After a few replays, the third umpire is satisfied that it is a clean catch. Dinesh Chandimal has to back to the hut now.

2.03pm  Time for a drinks break. The visitors started the second session in a convincing manner as they removed set batter Nishan Madushka from the middle but ever since Dhananjaya de Silva and Dinesh Chandimal have somewhat stabled the ship with the rotation of strike n getting the trail on them further below to just 3 runs now. Pakistan would now need to take wickets in a cluster as chasing anything above 170 on this track in the last innings would be an uphill task.

2.00pm  Agha Salman (1-0-6-0) comes into the attack.

1.05pm  Dhananjaya de Silva walks out next.

OUT! CAUGHT BEHIND! Nauman Ali strikes straightaway after Lunch! The set Nishan Madushka has to go back to the hut just after his fifty. This is tossed up nicely around off, grips and turns away sharply, Nishan Madushka goes for the big booming drive away from his body, but only manages to get a thin outside edge behind where Sarfaraz Ahmed takes a sharp catch to his right. Pakistan on top now!
Nishan Madushka c S Ahmed b N Ali 52 (115b 7x4 1x6)

1.01pm  Nauman Ali will bowl from the other end.

1.01pm  Sri Lanka looks to have walked out with a mindset of scoring runs more than containing.

12.55pm  The match officials are out in the middle followed by Dinesh Chandimal and Nishan Madushka for Sri Lanka. While Pakistan players could be seen spreading out to their field positions as well. Shaheen Afridi will start the afternoon session with the ball in his hands.

12.54pm  ...DAY 4, Session 2...

12.22pm  Shaheen Afridi bowled brilliantly finding the right spots in the morning but was unlucky as Nishan Madushka had the lady luck in his court with edges flying past the slip cordon for fun and for runs. Naseem Shah was a bit waivered and proved costly which enforced the bowling change early on as the skipper brought in Abrar Ahmed into the attack and it paid dividends with him picking up Dimuth Karunaratne while later in the session Nauman Ali got a couple of wickets as well. A make-or-break session awaits us on the other side of this lunch break which will start at 12.55 pm IST (7.25 am GMT).

12.21pm  The day started off on a really positive note for the hosts as they scored at a brisk pace and found the fence more often than not. Dimuth Karunaratne looked solid till he stayed while Nishan Madushka struggled a bit but got through the storm of Shaheen Afridi unscratched. The duo added 28 runs this morning in a little over 6 overs into the day when Dimuth Karunaratne departed to a stunning catch from Agha Salman. It was then Kusal Mendis that walked into the frame of schemes and stabled the ship with his sensible strokeplay ability along with Nishan Madushka but was later trapped in front of his stumps and lost his wicket. Closer to Lunch it was the experienced Angelo Mathews that departed to a splendid catch from Babar Azam edging one of the bowling of Nauman Ali. At Lunch the Lankan side would be slightly unhappy to have lost 3 wickets in the morning session but would be pleased to have managed to cut down the Pakistani lead to just 56 runs now.

12.17pm  Lunch has been called by the match officials and the session seems to be a shared one as Sri Lanka scored freely but Pakistan got rid of a dangerous-looking Dimuth Karunaratne and a couple more in the first session.

12.04pm  Dinesh Chandimal walks out next.

OUT! EDGED AND GONE! What a catch from Babar Azam! That is stunning and this is a huge wicket for Pakistan. Nauman Ali deserves this one as well for his effort. He floats this one up, full and just around off, grips and turns away a bit, Angelo Mathews prods forward to block, but only manages to get a thin outside edge towards first slip where Babar Azam shows sharp reflexes to dive to his left to take a left-handed stunner. Sri Lanka three down now!
Angelo Mathews c B Azam b N Ali 7 (21b 1x4 0x6)

11.36am  Angelo Mathews walks out next.

OUT! LBW! Nauman Ali strikes! Kusal Mendis goes back to the hut now! Nauman Ali bowls this a bit short and on middle, grips and turns away a shy bit, Kusal Mendis stays in his crease and tries to work it away from there, but gets beaten by the turn away to get hit on the pads right in front of the stumps. There is a huge appeal for LBW, and up goes the finger. Mendis takes the review, but UltraEdge shows no spike and Ball Tracking indicates three reds. Sri Lanka lose their second wicket and the review too!
Kusal Mendis lbw N Ali 18 (45b 2x4 0x6)

11.05am  Drinks! Sri Lanka have managed to score runs at a good rate and now they trail by under 100 runs, but they have lost their skipper Dimuth Karunaratne. Pakistan did get the breakthrough and with the pitch turning they will look to get a few more before Lunch to put more pressure on the hosts. An exciting phase of cricket awaits us.

10.49am  Naseem Shah (3-0-12-0) comes back into the attack now.

10.36am  Kusal Mendis walks out to bat at number 3.

OUT! IN THE AIR AND GONE! Abrar Ahmed gets a big scalp as he removes Dimuth Karunaratne from the middle. Tossed up from around the wickets, sliding down leg, Dimuth Karunaratne looks to flick it through the mid-wicket region for a boundary but hits it too well and in the air wide of Agha Salman at mid-wicket but Agha Salman moves to his left and dives to take a stunner. Pakistan gets the much needed breakthrough.
Dimuth Karunaratne (c) c A Salman b A Ahmed 20 (27b 4x4 0x6)

10.26am  Abrar Ahmed comes into the attack now.

10.06am  Naseem Shah replaces Agha Salman.

10.01am  Shaheen Afridi to bowl from the other end.

9.58am  We are all set to begin Day 4! The two umpires make their way out to the middle followed by the Pakistan players. Dimuth Karunaratne and Nishan Madushka stride out to continue the batting for Sri Lanka. Agha Salman to complete his over. Also, due to the lost time, Lunch will be taken at 12.15 pm IST (6.45 am GMT) and Tea at 3.10 pm IST (9.40 am GMT).

9.45am  Update - The word from the umpires is that play will start at 10 am IST (4.30 am GMT), so not much time lost. We will update about the revised session timings in a bit.

9.43am  Update - There is some water around the run-up area and the groundstaff is working to remove it. There will be an inspection at 9.50 am IST (4.20 am GMT), so there will be a delayed start.

8.50am  The surface has started to grip and turn and do it viciously too. The Pakistani spinners would come in handy in the second innings but the target for the Lankan side would be to post a total of more than 200 as they have got the spin attack to back it up. Day 4 promises to be a moving day and the team that wins this day would probably take a firmer grip on this game. Stay tuned as we head towards the start of play in a while.

8.50am  Day 3 belonged completely to the visitors as the marathon innings of Saud Shakeel helped the visitors take a commanding lead against Sri Lanka. Naseem Shah played a good hand too yesterday as he played the perfect anchor to Saud Shakeel. The Pakistani bowlers would be wanting to run through the batting lineup of the hosts in a hurry as the condition would favor the pacers early on. A lot would depend on this pair of Dimuth Karunaratne and Nishan Madushka as they would have to negotiate the likes of Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah early on with the ball being relatively new.

8.48am  Hello and welcome to all our viewers as we build up to Day 4 of this exciting encounter between two Asian giants in Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

8.47am  ...DAY 4, Session 1...

6.20pm  Right then, that is it from a pretty long Day 3 where Pakistan have taken control of this game and will look to make early inroads on Day 4 while the hosts will need their batters to step up big time. We are surely in for some exciting action on Day 4 which starts at 9.45 am IST (4.15 am GMT), but you can join us early for the build-up. Cheers!

6.19pm  Sri Lanka, on the other hand will be very disappointed with their bowling effort. This is a ground where their spinner has a lot to say but that was not the case here. They were not able to pick up wickets at regular intervals and let the visitors get away. It was the same old story for them as they struggled to get through the lower middle order as the last five wickets for Pakistan cost them 360 runs which is a lot. Their catching was poor as well as they dropped Saud Shakeel twice which has made a big impact in this Test. However, Ramesh Mendis was the pick of the bowlers and took a five-for as they managed to bowl out visitors in the last session. Dimuth Karunaratne and Nishan Madushka had to see out a few tricky overs which they did without any damage.

6.16pm  Pakistan started the Day with Agha Salman and Saud Shakeel at the crease after ending Day 2 with a crucial partnership. They extended it further and at a good rate as well. Shakeel registered a fine hundred but they lost Salman in the same over who missed out on his century. However, that did not affect Shakeel one bit as he went on to build up two more big stands, one with Nauman Ali of 52 runs and then a huge one of 94 with Naseem Shah who showed great resistance which put the hosts on the back foot as they conceded a massive lead. Shakeel batted almost throughout the Day and completed his maiden double-hundred as well.

6.13pm  That's it for Day 3! The umpires have decided to call it off due to bad light but we got plenty of action and drama here. It ends with complete dominance from Pakistan! It is often called the 'Moving Day' in a Test match and this game has moved in favour of Pakistan massively now thanks to a magnificent 200 from Saud Shakeel. Session Summary - 86 runs and 2 wickets in 30 overs. The visitors have a good lead of 135 runs and are much ahead in this game with a lot of time still left in this Test.

6.10pm  Agha Salman comes into the attack as Pakistan introduces spin.

6.01pm  Naseem Shah will start from the opposite end.

5.56pm  We are back for Sri Lanka's second innings! Dimuth Karunaratne and Nishan Madushka are in the middle to open for the hosts while Shaheen Afridi will take the new ball for Pakistan. Here we go...

5.55pm  ... THIRD INNINGS ...

5.50pm  Sri Lanka, on the other hand, started off well with Prabath Jayasuriya getting three quick wickets but they faded away after that. They reduced the visitors to 101/5 but let them get away with it as their bowlers lacked the sharpness. That big partnership between Salman and Shakeel has cost them a lot as they now trail by149  runs. Mendis finished with a five-wicket haul while Vishwa Fernando and Kasun Rajitha chipped in with one each. Now, it is up to their batters to get them back in this Test. Join us in a bit for their second innings.

5.48pm  Pakistan have finally been bowled out for 461! A brilliant maiden double hundred from Saud Shakeel stole the show. They showed great determination in their batting performance especially. The top order didn't contribute much except for Shan Masood but the massive 177-run 6th wicket stand between Agha Salman and Shakeel took the visitors out of a difficult situation and not only that it helped them to surpass Sri Lanka's total and take a healthy lead of 149 runs, but the former just missed out on his century. Shakeel remained unbeaten and managed well with the tail-enders to keep the runs flowing while Nauman Ali, Naseem Shah, and Abrar Ahmed also chipped in with the required support and some crucial runs in the end.

OUT! CAUGHT! All over for Pakistan! Fraction short and spins into the middle and leg. Abrar Ahmed pulls this to the long leg region where Angelo Mathews runs around at the boundary and takes a fine catch. Pakistan are dismissed for 461 taking a lead of 149 runs. Saud Shakeel remains unbeaten on 208 and he has played a knock for the ages here.
Abrar Ahmed c A Mathews b R Mendis 10 (12b 1x4 1x6)

5.25pm  Abrar Ahmed is the last man in.

OUT! BOWLED'EM! Ramesh Mendis breaks the 94-run partnership! The loopy full ball dips and spins into the middle and off-stump line. Naseem Shah looks to push this into the off-side. The ball sneaks through the gap and clatters through the stumps. A resilient knock from Naseem Shah comes to an end. Ramesh Mendis gets his fourth.
Naseem Shah b R Mendis 6 (78b 1x4 0x6)

5.10pm  Halt! Nishan Madushka has taken a blow on his helmet and is struggling a bit. The physio is in to check on him. We are ready to continue now.

5.02pm  Time for drinks break! Pakistan are coasting along nicely and have extended their lead to 123 runs. Sri Lanka have tried all sorts of ploy but they have not been able to get past Saud Shakeel and Naseem Shah. The Pakistani duo have added runs unbeaten 89 runs and are in no mood to get out. The hosts will somehow have to find a way to sneak a breakthrough and clean up the tail which has been frustrating them for over 2 hours. An exciting last phase of Day 3 awaits us.

4.39pm  Change from both ends. Kasun Rajitha (17-1-71-1) is back into the attack.

4.34pm  Vishwa Fernando (15-1-65-1) is back on now.