[Watch] Abdullah Shafique pulls off a one-handed stunner on Day 4 of the first Test against Sri Lanka
Pakistan opener Abdullah Shafique displayed incredible reflexes by plucking a sensational one-handed catch at short-leg to dismiss Sri Lankan wicket-keeper Sadeera Samarawickrama on Day 4 of the first Test at Galle.
The right-hander was dismissed by another stunning catch at the same position by Imam-ul-haq in the first innings. With the team battling away in their second innings after conceding a 149-run first-innings lead, his dismissal was a dagger to the heart on Wednesday (July 19).
Coming to the catch, it was an off-break delivery that the batter skipped down the track to meet on the full. However, the ball took the inside edge and went away from Shafique, who put a full-length dive to his right and plucked the cherry out of thin air.
Here is a clip of that stunning effort from the Pakistan fielder:
pic.twitter.com/FxXHqjA4Dj
Samarawickrama's dismissal had the hosts on the ropes at 175/6, with a lead of only 26 runs. However, a 76-run partnership between first-innings centurion Dhananjaya de Silva and off-spinner Ramesh Mendis raised Sri Lankan hopes.
Despite the inspired batting by the duo, the visitors struck back and have Sri Lanka on the ropes at 279/9, with a lead of only 130.
Saud Shakeel's heroics take Pakistan to the brink of a 1-0 series lead
Pakistan middle-order batter Saud Shakeel produced a memorable display with an unbeaten 208 in the team's first innings against Sri Lanka.
Coming in at 67/3 in response to the hosts' first innings score of 312, Shakeel batted with tremendous composure for someone playing just his sixth Test. The right-hander found the perfect balance between defense and attack, evidenced by his 19 boundaries and strike rate of 57.61.
The 27-year-old shared a critical 177-run partnership with all-rounder Agha Salman for the sixth wicket after Pakistan stuttered to 101-5. The talented youngster then shepherded the tail majestically to add another 183 runs for the final four wickets. This propelled the visitors to an improbable score of 461 in their first innings.
During his breathtaking knock, Shakeel became the first batter from Pakistan and the eighth visiting batter to score a double century in Sri Lanka. The talented youngster has scored two centuries and five half-centuries in six Tests, with a Bradmanesque average of 98.50.
Earlier in the game, Sri Lanka won a valuable toss but wasted an opportunity to post a first-innings total.
They slipped to 54/4 on the opening day before a defiant 131-run partnership between Angelo Matthews and Dhananjaya de Silva put them in a respectable position. De Silva completed his tenth century in his 50th Test and took the Island nation past 300 in the first innings.
The fixture marks the first Test for both teams in the 2023-25 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle.