• Pakistan trail Sri Lanka by 267 runs in second Test.
• Spinners dismiss Babar Azam, Imam-ul-Haq, and Mohammad Rizwan.
• Sri Lanka lost their last four wickets for 63 runs.

In the afternoon session of the second day, Sri Lanka made significant strides toward taking control of the second Test, as the spinners dismissed Babar Azam, Imam-ul-Haq, and Mohammad Rizwan, in that order, after seamer Asitha Fernando had dismissed Abdullah Shafique at the tail end of the first session.

By tea, Pakistan trailed Sri Lanka by 267 runs. The surface is turning, but not quickly enough to cause significant collapses. Monday’s opening two sessions saw eight wickets fall. Sri Lanka lost their last four wickets for 63 runs.

Pakistan’s top-order batsmen had starts but couldn’t convert them into match-defining runs. Babar’s first 33 births went well. He was struck on the pad sixth ball while dancing down the track, triggering a lbw plea and review. He seemed solid in defence and was quick to exploit bowlers’ length mistakes.

He pushed at a wide Prabath Jayasuriya ball that never threatened his stumps. Babar got an inside edge on the ball when it didn’t turn enough, and it hit his stumps. He made 16.

Imam and Rizwan’s wickets came without continuous pressure. Dhananjaya de Silva tricked Imam in the air, leaving a space between bat and pad for the ball to sneak through and unsettle the stumps. Imam hit 32 in 54 balls. Rizwan got smacked in the pads by Ramesh Mendis’ fast delivery. Rizwan evaluated and burnt one of his team’s three. 24 hours.

Shafique is maybe the least to fault since he was bowled by Asitha before he got his eye in. He pushed a length ball in the corridor on the second ball of the innings. Inside edge cannoned middle and leg.

Pakistan started the day well with to Naseem Shah’s scary spell. He bounced out both nighttime hitters. Dunith Wellalage fended the ball to second slip as he sought to dodge it. Niroshan Dickwella was eliminated with a chest-high bouncer down leg that he nicked.

Yasir Shah got the last two wickets, giving both bowlers three for the innings.

Sri Lanka’s Ramesh’s 35 offered late-order resistance. He set up 20-run partnerships with the No. 10 and No. 11 batters to keep Sri Lanka’s bottom order afloat on day two.

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