ISLAMABAD: Sri Lanka PCB Patrons XI warm up match ended in a warning for Pakistan, as the tourists beat the home side by 142 runs in their three day warm up game at the Islamabad Club Oval on Friday. The win came just days before the two match Test series, and it showed that Sri Lanka have come to Pakistan ready to fight. For the young Pakistani players in the Patrons XI, it was a hard lesson in what Test cricket demands.
The PCB Patrons XI 111 all out 254 target chase ended in 27.1 overs, and the home side never looked close to the target. Chasing 254 to win, the Patrons XI lost wickets in a rush, and the innings folded for just 111 runs. The Sri Lanka bowlers were disciplined and patient, and they did not give the young batters easy runs. When a team loses by 142 runs in a chase, the scorecard tells its own story, and this one says the home batters were outplayed.
Keshara Nuwantha four wickets 26 runs led the Sri Lanka attack, and the young bowler took four wickets for just 26 runs in seven overs. He bowled with pace and control, and he broke the back of the home batting. A bowler who takes four wickets for 26 runs in a warm up game has done his job, and Nuwantha will be pleased with his work. His spell was the difference between a close game and a one sided one.
Eshan Malinga three wickets warm up spell kept the pressure on the home batters, and he took three wickets of his own. Lahiru Kumara and Dilshan Madushanka took one wicket each, so the wickets were shared around the attack. That is a good sign for Sri Lanka, because it means they do not depend on one bowler. When four bowlers all take wickets, the batting side has nowhere to hide, and that is what happened to the Patrons XI.
Tayyab Arif 32 off 31 balls was the top score for the home side, and the young batter played with spirit. He hit four boundaries in his 32, and he was the only batter who looked comfortable against the Sri Lanka attack. Abdullah Fazal made 21 from 29 balls, Sameer Minhas added 18 with two fours and a six, and Mohammad Taha made 16. But the rest of the batting gave little support, and the innings folded quickly once the top order went.
Earlier, Sri Lanka had set the game up with their second innings. They resumed at 121 for six and were bowled out for 181 in 54.3 overs, which left the Patrons XI a target of 254. Milan Rathnayaka made 40 off 77 balls, Keshara Nuwantha added 30 from 47 balls, Anjala Bandara made 34 and Sonal Dinusha added 22. Saqib Khan and Ubaid Shah were among the wickets for the home side, and they will take heart from that, even though the game was lost.
Azan Awais 50 first innings Patrons XI knock had set up the home reply, and the opener top scored with a determined 50 off 85 balls. He hit nine boundaries in his innings, and he looked the part of a Test opener. Tayyab Arif made 30 and Mohammad Taha added 29 in that innings, as the Patrons XI declared at 151 for eight in 47 overs in reply to Sri Lanka 223 for seven declared. The declaration was a sporting one, meant to set up a result, and it did, though not the result the home side wanted.
The result will feed into the selection talk around the Pakistan squad. Reports say Pakistan are considering four more players for the Test series, with fast bowlers Ubaid Shah, Ali Shabbir and Saqib Khan, along with batter Tayyab Arif, in contention. That report is not a PCB announcement, and readers should treat it as a report, not as a confirmed selection. But the warm up game will have given the selectors plenty to think about, because Ubaid Shah and Saqib Khan took wickets and Tayyab Arif scored runs in both innings.
The Test series starts on Monday, and the first Test runs from November 9 to 13 at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. The second Test follows from November 17 to 21 at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, and both games count for the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27. Reports say Pakistan want a pace friendly pitch in Rawalpindi, and that is a bold call after this defeat. Sri Lanka will take confidence from the warm up win, and Pakistan will know they must be much better when the real cricket starts.
Also Read: Shane Deitz To Coach Pakistan Women After West Indies Exit
Previous: Pakistan Seeks OIC Economic Solidarity At Istanbul Session
Next: PlayFest Brings Music Food And Family Fun To PNCA Islamabad
