Batter Saud Shakeel set a world record in the second Test against Sri Lanka on Wednesday by becoming the first player in Test history to score 50+ runs in each of his first seven matches.
Before Shakeel, India’s Sunil Gavaskar, Pakistan’s Saeed Ahmed, West Indies’ Basil Butcher and New Zealand’s Bert Sutcliffe scored half-centuries in each of the first six Tests of their career.
Last week, the left-hander hit his maiden double century in Tests and became the first Pakistani batsman to achieve the feat on Sri Lankan soil.
During the third day of the second Test today, Sri Lanka’s Asitha Fernando cut short Shakeel’s knock on 57 in the afternoon session to take his wicket tally to three.
The fast bowler came around the wicket to trap the left-handed Shakeel lbw and end a 109-run partnership with Abdullah Shafique.
However, Shafique’s maiden double century and an unbeaten 132 by Agha Salman put Pakistan in the box seat. The tourists subsequently reached 563-5 at stumps, leading Sri Lanka by 397 runs in their first innings at Colombo’s Sinhalese Sports Club.
Salman and concussion substitute Mohammad Rizwan, on 37, were batting in an unbeaten stand of 95 after Shafique’s departure on 201.
Salman played attacking cricket to reinforce Pakistan’s new aggressive style in this series and reached his second Test ton with a boundary.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Sarfaraz Ahmed made 14 before he retired hurt after feeling dizzy, likely due to a blow he received on his helmet on the first ball faced from Fernando.
He was finally substituted by Rizwan.
Shafique passed 150 for the second time against Sri Lanka with a single off Ramesh Mendis, and then went past his previous Test best of 160 not out.
Pakistan resumed on 178-2 after Tuesday’s downpours restricted the action to just 10 overs.
Shafique started cautiously but soon hit two successive boundaries off Fernando before a single got his hundred.
Azam added 11 to his overnight 28 before being trapped lbw, with the decision upheld by the third umpire after review.
It was the sixth time Azam had been dismissed in Test cricket by Jayasuriya, who bowled unchanged from one end in the first session.
Pakistan won the first Test in the two-match series by four wickets.
