Pakistan batsmen Mohammad Hafeez and Ahmed Shehzad scored fluent half centuries as the first Test against Sri Lanka ended in a tame draw on the fifth day in Abu Dhabi yesterday.
Hafeez (80 not out) and debutant Shehzad (55) added 101 runs for the second wicket to take their team to safety after Sri Lanka paceman Suranga Lakmal dismissed opener Khurram Manzoor (8) early.
Pakistan reached 158-2 when the teams agreed to a draw, with first-innings centurion Younus Khan (13 not out) the other unbeaten batsman at the crease.
Photo: AFP
Lakmal troubled Manzoor on numerous occasions with his outswingers before finding his edge for wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene to complete the catch as Pakistan chased 302 for an improbable victory in just over two sessions.
Shehzad was out LBW to Rangana Herath at the start of the final session and his attempt to overturn the umpire’s decision through a review proved unsuccessful.
The dismissal came a bit too late for Sri Lanka as both their spinners and fast bowlers failed to make any significant impact on a docile pitch.
Earlier, Sri Lanka declared their second innings closed at 480-5 after batting for 90 minutes in the morning session to add 60 runs to their overnight score.
Captain Angelo Mathews remained unbeaten on 157, his highest Test score, while Jayawardene was not out on 63. The duo added 156 runs for the unbroken sixth wicket.
The second of the three-Test series is scheduled to be played in Dubai from Wednesday.
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