The second Test between Sri Lanka and Pakistan continued to enthral the audience on Day 4 as Sri Lanka tightened their grip on the Test by posting a huge total for Pakistan to chase in the fourth innings.
Sri Lanka resumed their innings on 176/5 at the start of the day’s play with captain Dimuth Karunaratne and Dhananjaya De Silva unbeaten on 27 and 30 respectively. The duo continued to bat responsibly and extended their partnership for the sixth wicket as they kept frustrating the Pakistan bowlers who were desperate to get some wickets to come back into the game. Their magnificent partnership of 126 was broken as Karunaratne was finally dismissed for a well-made 61.
Following the dismissal, Pakistan expected to wrap up the Sri Lankan innings quickly but the Sri Lankan tail crushed all their hopes as they gave good support to the well-set De Silva. The Sri Lankan vice-captain continued to put his marvellous stroke play on display as he approached his hundred. He was involved in two more good partnerships, first with Dunith Wellalage of 35 runs for the eighth wicket and then with Ramesh Mendis of 82 runs as Sri Lanka propelled their lead past 500.
De Silva brought up his century as he square-cut a wide delivery from Mohammad Nawaz for a boundary. Following which both the batters launched an onslaught on the Pakistan bowlers. An unfortunate runout ended both De-Silva’s and Sri Lanka’s innings as captain Karunaratne declared on the score of 360/8 setting a humongous target of 508 runs for Pakistan in the fourth innings.
Pakistan had a steady start to their chase as openers Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq looked unfazed by the big target in front of them. The duo added 42 runs for the first wicket before Shafique went for a wild heave down the ground and ended up mistiming the shot as the ball went soaring in the sky. Dimuth Wellalage, who was at mid-off, came underneath it and completed a brilliant catch running backwards. Pakistan finished Day 4 on the score of 89/1 with bad light forcing the umpires to go off the ground before the scheduled stumps time.
Here’s how Twitter reacted to the action on Day 4 of the Test:
UPDATE: Match delayed by bad light
Pakistan 89/1 (28 ov, target: 508) v Sri Lankahttps://t.co/xyjo71LCln— ESPNcricinfo scores (@ESPNscorecard) July 27, 2022
Pakistan vs Srilanka
2nd Test Day 4 Stumps
Pakistan were 89-1 in their second innings, Pakistan are 419 runs behind to win this test match.#PakvsSL #SecondTest #DAY04 #Metasports pic.twitter.com/lqITPNXwOU— Metasports (@metasportspk) July 27, 2022
Sri Lanka vs Pakistan 2nd test match stumps day 4
Pakistan 89/1 after 28 overs, need 419 runs to win #SLvPAK #Cricket— Mustafa Saleem (@MustafaSLM22) July 27, 2022
Pakistan vs Sri Lanka, 2nd Test, Day 4: Visitors 89/1 at Stumps After Being Set a Steep Target of 508 Runs#PAKvsSL @TheRealPCBMedia @OfficialSLC https://t.co/vhC71Y04TI
— LatestLY (@latestly) July 27, 2022
Can Rain Save Pakistan on Final Day of 2nd Pakistan Vs. Sri Lanka Test? https://t.co/wLIYjVvhlT
— Sahu News (@TheSahuNews) July 27, 2022
2nd Test (Sri Lanka vs Pakistan) Day 4 Stumps :
1st inn SL – 378/10 (103 Overs)
1st inn PAK – 231/10 (88.1 Overs)
2nd inn SL – 360/8 d (91.5 Overs)
2nd inn PAK – 89/1 (28 Overs)Pakistan need 419 runs to win#Cricket #SLvsPAK #testcricket #CricketTwitter #sports
— Sports Yaari (@YaariSports) July 27, 2022
Rain Likely to Save Pakistan on Final Day of 2nd Pakistan Vs. Sri Lanka Test https://t.co/XdLCZ8CEsF
— ProPakistani (@ProPakistaniPK) July 27, 2022
Bro don't think very much first see the current sri Lanka vs Pakistan match your team will obviously lost
— Sai_yashwanth_2104 (@2104Sai) July 27, 2022
SL vs PAK 2nd Test: Sri Lanka declared the innings and gave a big target to Pakistan, 508 runs would have to be scored to win https://t.co/CoBI1v5ItK
— Fast News World (@FastNewsWorld2) July 27, 2022
Highest successful targets chased in Tests:
418 by WI against AUS in 2003
414 vs SA against AUS in 2007
404 by AUS against ENG in 1948Sri Lanka have set 508 for Pakistan to chase and make history.
— 12th Khiladi (@12th_khiladi) July 27, 2022
Well, Srilanka declared Pakistan to chase just 508 runs
Result
Pak vs SL test match series has been tied by (1-1)?#PAKvsSL— ???? ????? ?? (@Im_R0HA) July 27, 2022
Pakistan need to work a lot on the spin department
First it failed at home vs Australia but now it even failed vs Srilanka on flat tracks and that is very alarming
It's very surprising because our current head coach was a great spinner of his time#SLvPAK #WTC23— ?? | Hassan™?? (@HassanEmpire007) July 27, 2022
