- Sri Lanka leads by 444 runs ahead of lunch.
- de Silva and Karunaratne’s 50s were crucial as the hosts stand firm.
- Pakistan won by 4 wickets.
SL vs PAK: Dhananjaya de Silva and Dimuth Karunaratne, who played despite suffering from a back injury, both scored fifty runs to help Sri Lanka extend their second-innings lead in the second Test on Wednesday to 444.
Sri Lanka grow their lead to 444 on the back of Dhananjaya de Silva and Dimuth Karunaratne’s half-centuries 🏏#SLvPAK | #BackTheBoysInGreen https://t.co/BKQDn1kDRt pic.twitter.com/wWLz3Yb9Ea
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) July 27, 2022
The hosts reached 297 for seven at lunch on day four after resuming on 176-5 in Galle. De Silva was on 84 and Ramesh Mendis was on 8 when the break occurred.
Overnight batsmen De Silva and the left-handed Karunaratne, who scored 61, scored 126 runs to keep the opposing bowlers at bay until the first wicket of the morning session was taken by Nauman Ali.
Karunaratne dodged two near calls, which Pakistan unsuccessfully reviewed, off Nauman’s left-arm spin, but eventually fell to the same bowler, caught at short leg by Abdullah Shafique’s brilliant reflex catch.
Karunaratne, who did not field in the Pakistan innings because to back spasms, received assistance from the physio during his two hours and 45-minute stint at the crease as he surpassed 6,000 Test runs.
De Silva remained resolute after losing left-handed debutant Dunith Wellalage for 18 after he was caught behind by left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz.
Sri Lanka fought back from 117-5 in an effort to set Pakistan a tall goal as they look to rebound from their loss in the first match of the two-match series.
Pakistan trailed 147 runs behind Sri Lanka after getting knocked out for 231 in response to the hosts’ first innings total of 378.
Pakistan’s best chase in Sri Lanka was in 2015 when they chased down 377 runs in Pallekele. In the first match of this series, the visitors attempted to break the Galle record of 342 runs.
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