ISLAMABAD: Dhananjaya de Silva and Kusal Mendis showed great staying power with unbeaten centuries as Sri Lanka reached 404-4 on the third day of the first Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi on Wednesday.
De Silva was unbeaten on a polished 167, while Mendis was 117 not out as the pair frustrated Pakistan with an unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 249. Sri Lanka ended the day within 30 runs of Pakistan’s first-innings total of 434-9 declared.
Mendis became the first Sri Lankan to score a century in his maiden Test as captain after taking over the reins from De Silva before the series.
The partnership between De Silva and Mendis is a Sri Lankan record against Pakistan, surpassing the 207-run stand by Thilan Samaraweera and Tillakaratne Dilshan in Lahore in 2009.
De Silva, who was dropped on 38 by Saud Shakeel off pacer Razaullah, made full use of the reprieve. He has so far hit 20 boundaries in his 241-ball innings.
Mendis played the more aggressive hand, striking four sixes and 10 fours as Sri Lanka added 290 runs during the day before bad light ended play 15 minutes early.
De Silva reached his 14th Test century, his fourth against Pakistan and second at the venue, with a boundary off spinner Arafat Minhas. Mendis completed his 11th Test hundred with a ramp boundary off Razaullah.
After a difficult day for Pakistan’s bowlers, Mohammad Abbas had figures of 2-64, while debutant Saqib Khan returned 2-105.
Earlier, Sri Lanka lost just one wicket in the first session as De Silva and Kamindu Mendis put on 90 for the fourth wicket, helping the tourists build on their overnight score of 114-3.
Kamindu completed his eighth Test fifty before edging Abbas to wicketkeeper Ghazi Ghori. He made 58 off 131 balls with eight fours, leaving Sri Lanka at 155-4.
Pakistan had declared their first innings at 434-9 on Tuesday after resuming from their overnight score of 281-5. Saud Shakeel top-scored with 93, while debutants Tayyab Arif, Mohammad Taha and Arafat Minhas scored half-centuries to strengthen the hosts’ position.
In reply, Sri Lanka were 114-3 at the close of the second day, trailing Pakistan by 320 runs, after Mohammad Abbas and debutant Saqib Khan took early wickets before De Silva and Kamindu steadied the innings with an unbeaten 49-run partnership.
The second Test is also scheduled to be played in Rawalpindi from November 17 after being shifted from Lahore due to poor weather.
