Middle-order batter Saud Shakeel hit an unbeaten 91 runs to help Pakistan reach 390-6 at lunch on the second day of the opening Test against Sri Lanka at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.
Saud Shakeel resumed his innings in watchful fashion, striking nine boundaries during the morning session to anchor the hosts towards a formidable total on a pitch offering little assistance to the bowling attack.
Overnight partner and debutant Ghazi Ghori added 48 runs to his tally before he was dismissed, narrowly missing out on a half-century on his first Test appearance for the national side.
Following Ghori's dismissal, Arafat Minhas joined Saud Shakeel at the crease and contributed 27 runs, maintaining the momentum as Pakistan pushed deeper into the second morning.
On the opening day on Monday, Pakistan reached 281-5 before bad light brought a premature end to proceedings, with captain Babar Azam and three other batters registering half-centuries.
Tayyab Arif scored 57 and Mohammad Taha chipped in with 51 on their respective Test debuts, while Babar Azam also reached the fifty-run mark after Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to field first.
Sri Lanka opted for a four-man pace attack while omitting a frontline spinner from their starting lineup, a selection strategy that appeared to backfire as the Rawalpindi pitch flattened out.
The tourists will look to break the ongoing partnership and restrict Pakistan's lower order when play resumes in the afternoon session.
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