Skipper Dinesh Chandimal scored a sure-footed hundred to keep Sri Lanka’s resistance strong in the face of Pakistan’s bowling in the opening session on the second day of the first Test at Abu Dhabi on Friday.
Pacer Hasan Ali dismissed Dickwella for 83 earlier to finally end a longstanding fourth-wicket partnership, as Sri Lanka batsmen continued to frustrate Pakistan bowling on another slow day of play.
Sri Lanka were 295-5 after Dickwella departed, as Pakistan looked to make use of some green patches to build pressure, without much result.
Opener Dimuth Karunaratne fell seven runs short of a deserved century as he anchored Sri Lanka´s fightback on the opening day of the Test on Thursday.
The left-hander was run out for 93 but helped his team recover from a precarious 61-3 to reach 227-4 at close after Sri Lanka won the toss and batted on a greenish Sheikh Zayed Stadium pitch.
Karunaratne added an invaluable 100-run partnership with skipper Dinesh Chandimal, as Pakistan failed to break through with the second new ball.
Chandimal was given leg before to Yasir Shah on 42, a decision which was overturned on review. Shah returned figures of 2-59 at the end of day’s play but didn´t get much turn from the pitch while seamer Hasan Ali took 1-58.
Yasir Shah matched fellow countryman Waqar Younis as the joint second fastest to 150 wickets -- both achieving the milestone in their 27th Test.
Australia´s Sydney Barnes holds the record after reaching the landmark in just 24 Tests.
The Test is Pakistan´s first since the retirement of legendary batsman Younis Khan and their most successful Test skipper, Misbah-ul-Haq.
Pakistan handed a Test cap to batsman Haris Sohail, while Sri Lanka went into the game with three spinners and two seamers.
Teams
Pakistan: Sarfraz Ahmed (capt), Azhar Ali, Shan Masood, Sami Aslam, Babar Azam, Asad Shafiq, Haris Sohail, Yasir Shah, Mohammad Amir, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Abbas
Sri Lanka: Dinesh Chandimal (capt), Lahiru Thirimanne, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kaushal Silva, Kusal Mendis, Niroshan Dickwella, Rangana Herath, Lakshan Sandakan, Dilruwan Perera, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep
Umpires: Richard Kettleborough (ENG) and Nigel Llong (ENG)
TV umpire: Ahsan Raza (PAK)
ICC match referee: Andy Pycroft (ZIM)
