Pakistan in command after Saud Shakeel hits record breaking double hundred vs Sri Lanka in 1st Test

Saud Shakeel carried his incredible run of form as Pakistan tightened their grip on Sri Lanka in the opening Test at the Galle International Cricket Stadium.

Shakeel scored his maiden double hundred in Tests as Pakistan took a lead of 149 in the first innings. At Stumps on Day 3, Sri Lanka were trailing by 135 runs with all their 10 wickets in hand in their second innings.

Pakistan were quite some distance behind Sri Lanka’s score in the first innings. Agha Salman and Shakeel put on 177 runs for the sixth wicket after Pakistan lost half their side with the score at 101 for five in 20.2 overs.

Sri Lanka got their first breakthrough on the third day after Ramesh Mendis got the wicket of Salman, who scored 83 runs off 113 balls with nine fours and a six.

But Shakeel did not give his wicket away and got to his hundred off 129 balls. The southpaw slowed down a wee bit, but got to his double hundred off 352 balls.

Shakeel became the first Pakistani batter to score a double hundred on Sri Lankan soil. He also joined Sachin Tendulkar, Joe Root and Virender Sehwag in an elite list of batters with Test 200s in Sri Lanka.

Shakeel went on to stay unbeaten on 208 runs off 361 balls with 19 fours. He was also involved in a partnership of 94 runs with Naseem Shah, who showed a lot of patience before Mendis dismissed him.

Mendis was the pick of the Sri Lankan bowlers after he finished with figures of 42.2-2-136-5.