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Sri Lanka vs Pakistan, 2nd Test at Colombo, SL v PAK, Jul 24 2023 - Match Result

RESULT
2nd Test, Colombo (SSC), July 24 - 27, 2023, Pakistan tour of Sri Lanka
PrevNext
166 & 188
576/5d

Pakistan won by an innings and 222 runs

Player Of The Match
201
abdullah-shafique
Player Of The Series
221 runs • 3 wkts
salman-agha
Match centre 
Scores: Sudeep Poojar | Comms: Vishal Dikshit
Scorecard summary
Sri Lanka 166/10(48.4 overs)
1st INNINGS
4/69 (20.4)
3/41 (14)
Pakistan 576/5(134 overs)
1st INNINGS
132* (154)
Sri Lanka 188/10(67.4 overs)
2nd INNINGS
63* (127)
7/70 (23)
3/44 (17.4)

5.06pm That's the end of our coverage from this tour. The victorious Pakistan team collects the trophy, gets behind the 'Champions' board and soaks in the celebration under the sun. Noman lifts the trophy with his usual gum-chewing attitude and his team-mates gather around him. Thanks for joining everyone, hope you all enjoyed the coverage brought to you by all of us. We'll soon have the report up, and some analysis pieces as well. Until then, goodbye, good luck and stay safe! It's Vishal Dikshit signing off...

Presentation coming up, and let me tell you, Pakistan are leading the WTC table right now...

Babar Azam: Very proud to win this series and all credit to guys and the support staff for working so hard in the last 3-4 months. Everyone stepped up and showed hunger to win this series. To be honest we haven't ticked all the boxes, but we are working on our batting and fielding. The way our bowlers bowled here was good because there wasn't much and especially today to put pressure on them. It's a team game, but we've had outstanding innings in both Test matches from Saudi, Salman, Abdullah Shafique. We're looking series by series in the coming [white-ball] games and will try to perform well. Being aggressive was part of the plan, it's something we had discussed before coming here. We wanted to play positive cricket. So all the credit to the boys. It's not easy to play spin here but they played very well.

Dimuth Karunaratne: In the Galle Test we had to stand up after we won't the toss, and 160 was not going to be enough. We knew it was flat and a lot of our batsmen threw the wickets and that was the turning point. We couldn't capitalise after getting starts. Batters were getting 20s, 30s but nobody got a hundred. That's what Pakistan were able to do and we're on the losing side. We have to sit down and talk about what went wrong, what we should do when the ball is turning or reversing. Do we have to step out and attack? They batted really well, they rotated the strike, and these things we have to learn. We couldn't rotate the strike and kept looking for boundaries. Not too many Tests coming up is challenging, that's how it's been for the last few years. It's really tough but the players have to mentally step up, play domestic cricket, keep their fitness up. For me there are no small positives except that Prabath Jayasuriya controlled his line and length, and Dhananjaya de Silva had a good series. Otherwise we didn't have a good series or small positives.

Agha Salman is the Player of the Series: We were 100 for 5 and I spoke to Saud and said we need to build a partnership. We wanted to be positive and that's how we had prepared in our camps in Lahore and Karachi. We wanted to play a positive brand of cricket and that's how we had worked on our skills. I don't mind batting at No. 5, 6 or 7, I'm just happy to play for Pakistan. I just try to play positive cricket.

Abdullah Shafique is the Player of the Match: I'd like to thank Allah that we've won a series here. We really needed it and it's a confidence booster for us. It's pleasing to win and I'm very happy. Yeah, you can say that (it's a happy hunting ground for me). I contributed in my team's victory and that's important.

Awais: "Shafique should be the MoM in my opinion.. he set up this win for Pakistan.. Noman was brilliant but this match was almost done and dusted after Pak took that 400 lead in the first innings..."

4.47pm We'll have the presentation coming up soon. Until then, people are asking who will be the Player of the Match, Shafique or Noman? Let's see, let's see. And yes, it is Pakistan's biggest win against Sri Lanka, and fourth-biggest overall when it comes to innings wins.

Daniyal Faquih: "A good comeback from Pakistan after a forgettable home test season."

frodo: "This is THE PAKISTAN WAY! And I'm lovin it."

bob: "1994 was 20 years ago? Babe, I hate to tell you..." Oops! Shows how old I am.

4.35pm Clinical victory from Pakistan after dominating for the last three days, but today was all about Noman Ali to wrap up this innings-and-222-run win. Noman leads the team off after handshakes and hugs all around, and the dejected Sri Lankan players walk out as well for the formalities. Noman sent down 23 overs today out of nearly 68, eight of those maidens, and the highlight reel will be only him hopping from around the wicket, teasing and beating the batters with his flight, change of pace, turn, bounce and taking as many as seven wickets to script this historic victory and 2-0 series win.

Sri Lanka will have to take a hard look at themselves after this loss. They've gone down 2-0, they've not picked wickets like they should have, they've not been able to bat even a single entire day in this Test match, and they were absolutely no match or Pakistan in either Test. It's also their second 2-0 or whitewash loss at home since 2021, after they went down to England in Galle in both games. The last time Pakistan whitewashed Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka? Back in 1994, when the three-Test series became a two-Test series because the second game was cancelled without a ball bowled because of the curfew following the general election. So it's been almost 30 years!

Arif: "If SL will play one more innings, I am sure they will loose again" Ouch!

67.4
W
Naseem Shah to Madushanka, OUT

finishes it off with a searing yorker! Dipping yorker, right in the block hole, and it hits the base of off stump because Madushanka has no clue about that

Dilshan Madushanka b Naseem Shah 0 (3b 0x4 0x6 2m) SR: 0
67.3
Naseem Shah to Madushanka, no run

inswinging yorker, hits him full but at the toe-end of the bat and some fielders appealed as well

67.2
Naseem Shah to Madushanka, no run

loud appeal first ball but not vociferous, and turned down! Length ball swinging in, swinging in too much because it strikes him in front but was probably going down

Dilshan Madushanka the last man. Short leg and silly mid-on out there

"That's Naseem's 50th wicket!!" Good spot, Ali

67.1
W
Naseem Shah to Asitha Fernando, OUT

Naseem has one more! He cleans up Asitha's off stump as well. A length ball roaring towards top of off, Asitha's feet are cemented to the crease and the ball crashes into the stumps with its pace

Asitha Fernando b Naseem Shah 0 (2b 0x4 0x6 5m) SR: 0
end of over 674 runs
SL: 188/8CRR: 2.80 
Angelo Mathews63 (127b 7x4 2x6)
Asitha Fernando0 (1b)
Noman Ali 23-8-70-7
Naseem Shah 17-5-44-1
66.6
4
Noman Ali to Angelo Mathews, FOUR runs

too slow, too loose, too wide, and Mathews slays it over mid-off with the fielder in the circle with a big swing for four

First time I saw Noman hit 90kmh today

66.5
Noman Ali to Angelo Mathews, no run

90kmh, flat and quick on off, Mathews rocks back to punch it to cover

66.4
Noman Ali to Angelo Mathews, no run

79kmh, nicely flighted and slowed down on middle, Mathews blocks with a forward lean

Daniyal Faquih: "NO-MAN .. NA-SEAM"

66.3
Noman Ali to Angelo Mathews, no run

pretty slow length ball on middle, he patiently blocks it back

66.2
Noman Ali to Angelo Mathews, no run

turning away again from outside off with some flight, left again

66.1
Noman Ali to Angelo Mathews, no run

on length a fair bit outside off, left alone

What a bummer Noman won't get 10 today! Thanks Fidel, give your fingers some rest after that Naseem spell. Noman's fingers won't get any rest though

end of over 667 runs • 1 wicket
SL: 184/8CRR: 2.78 
Asitha Fernando0 (1b)
Angelo Mathews59 (121b 6x4 2x6)
Naseem Shah 17-5-44-1
Noman Ali 22-8-66-7
65.6
Naseem Shah to Asitha Fernando, no run

length ball, angled into the stumps, Asitha gets the bat down and keeps it out

Asitha Fernando the new batter

65.5
W
Naseem Shah to Jayasuriya, OUT

Naseem finally gets a wicket. Noman Ali won't get his 10, but that's ok. Naseem deserved this for an outstanding spell. This was rapid, swinging in from way outside off as Naseem went wide of the crease. And it hit the top of off. Jayasuriya was like a deer caught in the headlights and didn't even offer a shot, really. Probably didn't expect it to swing quite that much.

Prabath Jayasuriya b Naseem Shah 0 (4b 0x4 0x6 7m) SR: 0
65.4
1
Naseem Shah to Angelo Mathews, 1 run

full delivery, but down leg again. Mathews gets bat to it again, but it goes to square leg this time

65.3
2
Naseem Shah to Angelo Mathews, 2 runs

inswinging yorker, but down leg. Mathews flicks this to fine leg

65.2
4
Naseem Shah to Angelo Mathews, FOUR runs

that's fullish, wide of off, and Mathews pokes at it, gets an outside edge to it, and it runs to the deep third boundary. Gully fielder got a hand to it, but couldn't take enough pace off

65.1
Naseem Shah to Angelo Mathews, no run

full delivery, swinging away, pitching on off. Mathews prods towards cover

Naseem is back FOR YET ANOTHER OVER. Mad. Can he get one here?

end of over 65Wicket maiden
SL: 177/7CRR: 2.72 
Prabath Jayasuriya0 (3b)
Angelo Mathews52 (117b 5x4 2x6)
Noman Ali 22-8-66-7
Naseem Shah 16-5-37-0
64.6
Noman Ali to Jayasuriya, no run

quicker, pitching on middle, and Jayasuriya defends on the front foot

64.5
Noman Ali to Jayasuriya, no run

floated up, pitched just wide of off. Prabath leaves it alone

64.4
Noman Ali to Jayasuriya, no run

slow through the air, but shortish. Prabath has to reach to defend that into the offside

Prabath Jayasuriya is the new man

64.3
W
Noman Ali to Mendis, OUT

Noman gets his seventh and the 10-for is STILL ON! Mendis runs down the pitch (Why? Who knows?) but Noman has tossed this up wide of the batter, and as he goes through with his futile hoick, the ball dips, spins past his outside edge, and Rizwan completes the stumping. We could be seeing a bit of history here. Either way, this is Noman's best figures in an innings.

Ramesh Mendis st †Mohammad Rizwan b Noman Ali 16 (42b 2x4 0x6 65m) SR: 38.09
Best performances - batters
Spike Graph
Wagon Zone
Abdullah Shafique
201 runs (326)
19 fours4 sixes
Productive shot
flick
45 runs
2 fours0 six
Control
90%
Agha Salman
132 runs (154)
15 fours1 six
Productive shot
pull
28 runs
4 fours1 six
Control
87%
Best performances - bowlers
Noman Ali
O
23
M
8
R
70
W
7
ECO
3.04
FTYFGSGS
OFFLEG
RHB
3W
3W
LEGOFF
LHB
1W
Abrar Ahmed
O
20.4
M
3
R
69
W
4
ECO
3.33
FTYFGSGS
OFFLEG
RHB
1W
2W
1W
LEGOFF
LHB
Match details
Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, Colombo
TossSri Lanka, elected to bat first
Series
Season2023
Player Of The Match
Player Of The Series
Series resultPakistan won the 2-match series 2-0
Match numberTest no. 2514
Hours of play (local time)09.30 start, Lunch 11.30-12.10, Tea 14.10-14.30, Close 16.30
Match days24,25,26,27 July 2023 - day (5-day match)
PAK Player Replacement
Substitute in out (2nd innings, 99.1 ov)
Test debut
Umpires
TV Umpire
Match Referee
PointsPakistan 12, Sri Lanka 0
Language
English
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Sri Lanka Innings
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ICC World Test Championship

TeamMWLDPTPCT
IND118219874.24
AUS128319062.50
SL95406055.56
ENG168718142.19
SA62312838.89
NZ83503637.50
BAN83503334.38
PAK72501619.05
WI91622018.52