RAWALPINDI, 11 November 2026: Sri Lanka fought back in style on Day 3 of the first Test at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, reaching 404 for 4 at stumps and closing to within 30 runs of Pakistan’s first innings total.
After a day dominated by the bat, it was the unbeaten 249-run partnership between Dhananjaya de Silva and captain Kusal Mendis that turned the match on its head.
Sri Lanka resumed on 114 for 3 and Pakistan got the early breakthrough they wanted when Mohammad Abbas removed Kamindu Mendis for 58. Wicketkeeper Muhammad Ghazi Ghori took a sharp catch behind the stumps, his third of the innings, to end a promising knock that included eight boundaries.
From 155 for 4, the game changed completely. De Silva and Mendis batted through the rest of the day without being separated, grinding down a tiring Pakistan attack across 74.5 overs.
De Silva was the aggressor and the anchor in one. The former captain brought up his 14th Test century off 151 balls in the second session and finished unbeaten on 167 off 241 balls, with 20 fours. He was given a life on 38 when Saud Shakeel dropped him at first slip off Razaullah, a chance Pakistan would rue all day.
At the other end, Mendis led from the front. The skipper reached his 11th Test hundred with a boundary in the 92nd over and ended the day on 117 not out off 188 balls, hitting 10 fours and 4 sixes.
Pakistan did have a moment of hope late in the day when Razaullah trapped De Silva in front in the 90th over, but the review showed the ball going over the stumps and the not out decision stayed.
For Pakistan, Abbas was the pick of the bowlers with 2 for 64 from 29 overs. Saqib Khan also picked up two wickets but went for 105 runs in his 26 overs.
Earlier, Pakistan had declared their first innings on 434 for 9, built around Saud Shakeel’s 93, Tayyab Arif’s 57, Arafat Minhas’ 52, Mohammad Taha’s 51, Babar Azam’s 50 and Ghori’s 48.
With two days remaining and Sri Lanka just 30 runs behind with six wickets in hand, the first Test is now set up for a fascinating finish.
