Pakistan Clinches Series with Nauman Ali’s Outstanding Seven-for
Nauman Ali’s impressive seven-wicket haul led Pakistan to a resounding victory over Sri Lanka in the second Test, securing a 2-0 series win against the hosts.
In the second innings, Sri Lanka was bowled out for 188 runs, with Naseem Shah contributing with the last three wickets.
Setting the stage for Nauman Ali’s brilliant performance, the right-arm pacer Naseem Shah played a key role with his spell of 7-70.
After trailing by 410 runs, Sri Lanka’s batting line struggled against Nauman’s formidable attack.
Pakistan declared their first innings at 576-5, shortly after Mohammad Rizwan completed his half-century early on the fourth day.
Nauman Ali provided an early breakthrough, forcing Sri Lanka to go for lunch at 81-1. Post-lunch, Nauman continued his exceptional spin attack, claiming five more wickets in quick succession.
Before tea, Nauman claimed all six wickets, leaving Sri Lanka at 143-6 on the scoreboard.
After tea, Naseem Shah resumed his hunt for a wicket and eventually secured all three remaining wickets in a row.
Angelo Mathews showed resilience for Sri Lanka, scoring an unbeaten 63 runs, including seven boundaries and two maximums.
On the fourth day, Pakistan’s Rizwan (37*) and Agha Salman (132*) resumed their innings at 563-5. Rizwan quickly reached his half-century before Babar Azam declared the innings.
Notably, it was Rizwan’s eighth fifty in Test cricket. He had replaced Sarfaraz Ahmed as a concussion substitute after Sarfaraz was hit on the helmet on the third day.
Together on the fourth day, Rizwan and Agha Salman added 13 runs to Pakistan’s total, stretching their lead to 410.
Agha Salman’s remarkable performance on the third day saw him scoring an unbeaten 132 runs off 148 balls, including 15 fours and a six. Meanwhile, Abdullah Shafique notched his maiden double-century.
