Pakistan won a thrilling four-wicket victory against host Sri Lanka in the first test match of the two-match series at Galle. Pakistan Cricket Team put an end to their year-long winless streak in Test cricket with a thrilling Galle test victory on Thursday.
1️⃣-0️⃣ 🆙
Pakistan begin their ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 campaign with a 4️⃣-wicket win against Sri Lanka 🙌#SLvPAK pic.twitter.com/4e1fTNh3BS
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) July 20, 2023
Led by Babar Azam, the team’s last Test win also came in Galle on July 20, 2022. With this early on win on Day 5 Pakistan edges on top of the series with a 1-0 lead against team Sri Lanka.
2022 ⏯️ 2023
Another year, another brilliant win in Galle 😍#SLvPAK pic.twitter.com/SDtC35kkzu
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) July 20, 2023
Pakistan on lately Day 4 lost three wickets with Abdullah Shafique, Shan Massod, and nightwatchman Noman Ali in a wake to achieve a 131 target. Opener Imam-ul-Haq stood firmly and scored brilliant 50 runs knock and Agha Salman’s six off the first ball he faced paved the way for Pakistan to clinch victory. Saud Shakeel contributed 30 runs with skipper Baber Azam 24 in the second inning, before being trapped by Prabath Jayasuriya in front of the stumps.
Saud Shakeel’s outstanding 208 runs in the first inning earned him man of the match, and he credited the team’s execution of sweep and reverse sweep shots for the win. Spinners Noman Ali, Abrar Ahmed, and Salman Ali Agha helped bowl Sri Lanka out for 279 on a tricky Galle pitch restricting hosts from setting a major target.
The first 🇵🇰 batter to score a double 💯 in Sri Lanka 👏
Player of the match @saudshak 🌟🏆#SLvPAK pic.twitter.com/cFHPtXRYOW
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) July 20, 2023
With this triumph, Pakistan won its first test match of World Test Championship 2023-25 making it its first win in Test cricket for a year. The second Test will start on Monday (July 24) in Colombo.