Pakistan fought back on the fourth day of the opening Test against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi, led by a remarkable seven-wicket haul from debutant fast bowler Saqib Khan. The hosts ended the day with a lead of 45 runs and nine wickets remaining in their second innings.
Sri Lanka had resumed the day in a commanding position at 404-4, aiming to build a substantial lead over Pakistan's first-innings total of 434-9. However, Saqib dismantled the middle and lower order to limit the visitors' advantage to just 12 runs.
Saqib struck in his first over of the day to remove overnight batter Dhananjaya de Silva for 167. He then claimed the wicket of Kusal Mendis, who departed for 119, effectively ending a record 249-run partnership that had frustrated the Pakistan bowling attack.
The debutant continued his momentum by dismissing Sonal Dinusha for 20 and cleaning up the tail to finish with figures of 7-130. His performance ranks as the fourth-best innings return for a Pakistan bowler on Test debut, trailing only Mohammad Zahid, Mohammad Nazir, and Abrar Ahmed.
The match remains finely balanced as both teams head into the final day of the contest. The ongoing series is a significant fixture in the ICC World Test Championship 2025/27 cycle, where both sides are looking to improve their standing.
In the current World Test Championship standings, Sri Lanka holds seventh place with a point percentage of 33.33, while Pakistan occupies the ninth position with 4.63 percent. A positive result in this Test would be crucial for Pakistan to climb the table.
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