Pakistan have climbed to the third place in the World Test Championship table after a resounding victory over Sri Lanka in the second Test.
Pakistan on Monday defeated Sri Lanka by a huge margin of 263 runs in the Karachi Test, thus winning the historic two-match series 1-0. Chasing 476 for victory, Sri Lanka were bundled out for mere 212 on the fifth and final day of the Test match at the National Stadium.
With bad weather and continuous rain forcing both the teams to settle for a draw in the first Test in Rawalpindi, locals fans expected a great performance from the home team and Azhar Ali and his boys made sure they didn't disappoint them.
Resuming Day 5 on 212/7, it needed just 16 balls for Pakistan to wrap up the Sri Lankan innings in a span of 15 minutes.
Naseem Shah dismissed Lasith Embuldeniya with a brute of a bumper on the very first ball of the day. Leg-spinner Yasir Shah then dislodged Oshada Fernando, who top-scored for the visitors by playing a gutsy knock of 102, as the Sri Lankan batter was caught at the slips.
In the very next over, Naseem got Vishwa Fernando out LBW and sealed a historic win for the hosts.
Apart from Fernando, Niroshan Dickwella also chipped in with 65 runs for the visitors as all the other batsmen failed to show any resistance.
Naseem was the pick of the bowlers for Pakistan as he picked five wickets for 32 runs. Yasir scalped two wickets while Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Abbas and Haris Sohail chipped in with a wicket each.
The foundation for Pakistan's victory was earlier laid by Shan Masood, Abid Ali, Babar Azam and Azhar Ali -- who all scored brilliant centuries in the second innings to turn the match around. Pakistan, who were out for mere 190 in the first innings and were in a bit of trouble after conceding a lead of 80, came back strongly into the match as their top four batters batted superbly to post them a mammoth 555/3 declared in the second innings.
The two-Test series marked the return of Test cricket to Pakistan after 10 years. Sri Lanka were the last team to play Tests there, in 2009, when their tour was cut short by an attack on the team bus.
With the win, Pakistan have registered their first points in the ongoing World Test Championship.
Brief scores: Sri Lanka 271 and 212 all out (Oshada Fernando 102, Niroshan Dickwella 65; Naseem Shah 5/32) vs Pakistan 191 all out and 555/3 declared.
