Saud Shakeel, Agha Salman help Pakistan counter Sri Lankan spin on Day Two of first Test

Saud Shakeel and Agha Salman

An unbeaten century stand between Saud Shakeel and Agha Salman rescued Pakistan from a precarious 101-5 on the second day of the rain-hit opening Test on Monday.

In response to Sri Lanka's 312, Pakistan reached 221-5 when rain stopped play with the tourists still 91 runs behind.

Sri Lanka's left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya took three wickets, including skipper Babar Azam. Sri Lanka batsman Dhananjaya de Silva had earlier made 122 to hand the hosts a respectable total.

Pakistan faltered in their reply before Shakeel, on 69, and Salman, on 61, put on 120 runs to steady the innings and thwart the Sri Lankan spinners.

The combination of Shakeel and Salman mixed the right dose of caution and aggression, with 12 boundaries and a six between them. The pair showed maturity in tackling the spinners by using their feet, with Pakistan scoring at nearly five runs an over.

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