Abdullah scripts Pakistan's four-wicket win against Sri Lanka in first Test
GALLE, Sri Lanka (AFP) - Abdullah Shafique hit an unbeaten 160 as Pakistan chased down a record target of 342 at Galle to win a tense opening Test by four wickets against Sri Lanka on Wednesday.
Shafique hit the winning runs in the final session of play on day five to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.
Left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya took a match haul of nine wickets but his efforts were in vain as Pakistan battled past the previous best chase in Galle of 268 by Sri Lanka against New Zealand in 2019.
The 22-year-old Shafique excelled with his second Test ton. He built crucial partnerships including a 101-run third-wicket stand with skipper Babar Azam, who made 55 after his 119 in the first innings on a tricky pitch to bat on.
Shafique finally combined with Mohammad Nawaz, 19 not out, to take the visitors home after a brief rain interruption halted their charge. The teams had taken early tea before returning for the third session of play.
Shafique survived three dropped catches, on 70, 135 and 151, but played the anchor's role to perfection as he surpassed his previous Test best of 136 not out.
Pakistan had a few anxious moments after Jayasuriya, who sent back talisman Azam before the close on day four, struck at the stroke of lunch to get debutant Salman Ali Agha out for 12.
Hassan Ali fell for five in the second over of the second session after being promoted up the order to hit out the remaining runs.
Jayasuriya, who took 12 wickets on debut in a series-levelling Test win over Australia last week at the same venue, six in each innings, kept up the pressure but Shafique stood firm.
Pakistan resumed the day on 222-3 and Sri Lanka soon used up their remaining two umpire reviews, with Jayasuriya involved in both calls.
Mohammad Rizwan opened his day's account with a boundary off Ramesh Mendis and kept up his positive intent by taking singles and twos before he fell lbw to Jayasuriya for 40.
A review did not save Rizwan, a wicketkeeper-batsman who has come into the two-match series after a successful stint with English county Sussex.
Dinesh Chandimal kept up his blazing form in an unbeaten 94 -- his second successive half-century -- when he ran out of partners in Sri Lanka's second-innings total of 337.
In a match of tail-end fightbacks, Azam hit a defiant century in Pakistan's first innings and batted patiently with the lower order after the visitors slipped to 85-7 on day two.
The second Test starts Sunday, also in Galle, after it was moved from Colombo due to the political unrest in Sri Lanka.
SCOREBOARD
Sri Lanka 1st innings 222 (D. Chandimal 76, M Theekshana 38; S. Afridi 4-58)
Pakistan 1st innings 218 (B. Azam 119; P Jayasuriya 5-82)
Sri Lanka 2nd innings (overnight 329-9, D. Chandimal 86, P. Jayasuriya 4)
O Fernando c Azam b Yasir 64
D Karunaratne lbw b Nawaz 16
K Rajitha lbw b Nawaz 7
K Mendis b Yasir 76
A Mathews c Azam b Nawaz 9
D Chandimal not out 94
D de Silva b Yasir 20
N Dickwella b Nawaz 12
R Mendis b Nawaz 22
M Theekshana c Rizwan b Hasan 11
P Jayasuriya b Naseem 4
Extras (b5, lb7) 12
Total (6 wickets, 127.2 overs) 344
Extras (lb1, nb1) 2
Total (all out, 100 overs) 337
Fall of wickets: 1-33 (Karunaratne), 2-41 (Rajitha), 3-132 (Oshada), 4-164 (Mathews), 5-178 (Kusal), 6-218 (de Silva), 7-235 (Dickwella), 8-267 (R. Mendis), 9-308 (Theekshana), 10-337 (Jayasuriya)
Bowling: Shaheen 7-2-21-0, Nawaz 28-2-88-5, Agha 16-1-53-0, Yasir 29-2-122-3, Hasan 12-3-19-1, Azam 1-0-9-0, Naseem 7-0-24-1 (nb1)
Pakistan 2nd innings (target 342, overnight 222-3, A. Shafique 112, M. Rizwan 7)
Shafique not out 160
Imamul Haq st Dickwella b R. Mendis 35
A Ali c de Silva b Jayasuriya 6
B Azam b Jayasuriya 55
M Rizwan lbw b Jayasuriya 40
S Ali Agha c Dickwella b Jayasuriya 12
H Ali c Theekshana b de Silva 5
M Nawaz not out 19
Extras (b5, lb7) 12
Total (6 wickets, 127.2 overs) 344
Yet to bat: Y. Shah, S. Afridi, N. Shah
Fall of Wickets: 1-87 (Imam-ul-Haq), 2-104 (A. Ali), 3-205 (Azam), 4-276 (Rizwan), 5-298 (Agha), 6-303 (Hasan)
Bowling: Rajitha 9-2-18-0, Jayasuriya 56.2-10-135-4, R. Mendis 33-0-102-1, Theekshana 14-2-44-0, de Silva 15-1-33-1
Toss: Sri Lanka
Result: Pakistan won by four wickets
Series: Pakistan lead the two-match series 1-0
Umpires: Kumar Dharmasena (SRI), Marais Erasmus (RSA)
TV Umpire: Rod Tucker (AUS)
Match Referee: Jeff Crowe (NZL).