Pakistan Take Control Against Sri Lanka as Arafat Minhas Scores Fifty on Test Debut

Rawalpindi, 11 November 2026: Pakistan took charge of the first Test against Sri Lanka on Tuesday. They declared at 434/9 and left the visitors on 114/3 at stumps. Sri Lanka trail by 320 runs.

Pakistan began day two on 281/5. Saud Shakeel was on 57 and Ghazi Ghori was on seven. The pair pushed their sixth-wicket stand to 96. Ghori made 48 before he was out.

Saud then fell for 93 off 199 balls. He hit nine fours. Asitha Fernando got him, and Kusal Mendis took the catch. It was Fernando’s 100th Test wicket, in his 29th Test.

Debutant Arafat Minhas walked in with Pakistan on 349/6. He made 52 off 72 balls, with nine fours and a six. He added 44 with Saud. Cricinfo says Arafat is the seventh Pakistani to score 50 or more on Test debut while batting at No. 8 or lower.