Sri Lanka dominated the opening session on the third day of the Rawalpindi Test, strengthening their position against Pakistan as the visitors moved closer to avoiding the follow-on.
Sri Lanka resumed their first innings at 114 for three and reached 155 before Mohammad Abbas dismissed Kamindu Mendis, ending his 90-run partnership with Dhananjaya de Silva.
However, Pakistan’s bowlers struggled to make further breakthroughs during the session.
At lunch, Sri Lanka had reached 221 for four, needing just 13 more runs to avoid the follow-on. Dhananjaya de Silva remained unbeaten on 87, while captain Kusal Mendis was batting responsibly on 21.
For Pakistan, Mohammad Abbas and Shakib Khan have taken two wickets each.
Pakistan Set 434-Run Target in First Innings
Pakistan had declared their first innings at 434 for nine on the previous day.
Saud Shakeel led the batting effort with 93 runs, while Tayyab Arif scored 57, Arafat Minhas made 52, Mohammad Taha contributed 51 and captain Babar Azam added 50.
For Sri Lanka, Asitha Fernando and Dilshan Madushanka were the leading bowlers, claiming three wickets each.