Bowlers dominate in Galle to leave contest hanging in the balance

Pakistan bowlers ran through the Sri Lanka batting order to bowl them out for 222, before the hosts struck late to leave the contest hanging in the balance.

Opting to bat first, Sri Lanka hoped to make it count big, with a big first innings total in Galle. But the Pakistan bowling attack, led by the 2021 ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year – Shaheen Afridi – were too hot to handle for the hosts.

Meaningful scores were few and far for Sri Lanka, with Afridi starting the proceedings for the visitors taking the all-important wicket of skipper Dimuth Karunaratne. Afridi would take three more wickets in the form of Dhananjaya de Silva, Niroshan Dickwella and Maheesh Theekshana, ending with figures of 4/58.