Abu Dhabi: Pakistani`s openers remained unseparated to take their team to 115-0 by lunch on the second day of the first Test against Sri Lanka on Wednesday.
Pakistan, who bowled out Sri Lanka for 197 in their first innings on the back of a five-wicket haul by paceman Junaid Khan, blunted the Sri Lankan attack at Abu Dhabi Stadium.
At lunch, opener Mohammad Hafeez was unbeaten on 73 and Taufiq Umar was on 35 with Pakistan only 82 runs behind with all their wickets intact.
Resuming at 27-0, Pakistan found the going easy against the Sri Lankan pace duo of Nuwan Pradeep and Chanaka Welegedara, with Hafeez smacking a boundary through covers off the debutant Pradeep in the first over of the day.
Umar was more cautious as Sri Lanka introduced spinners Rangana Herath and Tillakaratne Dilshan from both ends. They bowled four maiden overs between them with tight line and length, but did not get much turn.
Hafeez then broke the deadlock in scoring, jumping out of his crease to hit Herath over long-off for a six and then slashed towards third man to bring his fifth Test
half-century.
He then swept the same bowler for two to bring up Pakistan`s 100. Hafeez has so far hit eight boundaries and a six during his 121-ball knock.
Sri Lanka`s three-pronged pace attack and spinners failed to give any trouble to the Pakistani openers on a pitch which had some grass on the first day.
The remaining two Tests in the series will be played in Dubai (October 26-30) and Sharjah (November 3-7).
The Tests will be followed by five one-day and a Twenty20 international.
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.