Cricket News: Sri Lanka VS Pakistan 1st Test - Kusal Mendis and Dinesh Chandimal take SL to a 333-run lead
A mix of the third day for both the teams! While Sri Lanka successfully added 297 runs to expand the lead on Day 3, Pakistan bowlers made a terrific comeback to take eight wickets
Resuming the second innings from a lead of 40 runs for Sri Lanka, Kasun Rajitha and Oshada Fernando took the crease. Mohammad Nawaz dismissed Kasun Rajitha as an early breakthrough. However, Kusal Mendis joined hands with Oshada Fernando (64) to build a mammoth 91-run partnership for the third wicket. Pakistan bowlers looked quite clueless in the first session as they failed to take any other wicket. Kusal Mendis played the crucial knock of 76 runs quite efficiently except for the few deliveries of Yasir Shah that troubled him. Bowlers then made a good comeback taking five wickets in the post-lunch session, with Yasir Shah paving the way. Capitalising on which Mohammad Nawaz recorded his maiden five-wicket haul in Tests.
Despite getting back in the match and the potential to bundle the team under a lead of 300, Pakistan's bowlers failed to build pressure on the lower order. Giving Babar Azam a taste of his own medicine, Dinesh Chandimal anchored the inning again from one end. He got into five mini partnerships to remain unbeaten at 86 with Prabath Jayasuriya on the crease.
With one wicket left and much potential player Dinesh Chandimal on the crease, Sri Lanka can add a few more runs to this already challenging lead of 333 runs. Pakistan bowlers will look to wind up the inning by taking the only wicket left and focusing on the target given to them.
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