1st Test, Pakistan vs Sri Lanka, Day 5 preview: A Dhananjaya hundred, perhaps, and then some of Babur

The cricketers have been at the Rawalpindi Cricket Ground for four days now – for just 91.5 overs of cricket. They had at least taken field on Day 3, even bowled 26 balls; there was no such luck the next day, that was abandoned without a ball being bowled.

And yet, the Test had promised so much after the teams went in with seven fast bowlers between them. Dimuth Karunaratne (59) and Oshada Fernando (40) had added 96 for the first wicket before the Pakistan fast bowlers reduced Sri Lanka to 127/4.

Dhananjaya de Silva (87*) then led the recovery, helping Sri Lanka reach 202/5 at stumps on Day 1, 263/6 on Day 2, and 282/6 on Day 3 (and 4). An over – or even less – of cricket would have allowed him to bat on all five days of the Test. Mind you, he may still get a richly deserved hundred.

Naseem Shah (2/83) and Shaheen Shah Afridi (2/58), too, will be eyeing that maiden five-wicket haul, while the Pakistan batsmen will want to leave a mark in the first Test on home soil in over a decade.

As it is, individual milestones are all to look forward to unless there are two, or three, adventurous declarations.

Key players

Naseem Shah (Pakistan): All of 16, Naseem has already caused a stir with his pace in Test cricket. He had bowled well without success on debut at Brisbane; another couple of wickets here will do him a world of good.

Dhananjaya de Silva (Sri Lanka): Dhananjaya had walked out to bat on Wednesday. Since then he has left the ground thrice and had sat outside for an entire day. He has waited enough to deserve a name on the honour’s board.

Brief scores

Sri Lanka 282/6 (Dhananjaya de Silva 87*, Dimuth Karunaratne 59; Shaheen Shah Afridi 2/58) vs Pakistan.

Prediction

Sri Lanka to declare after Dhananjaya’s hundred.