Pakistan seamer Naseem Shah dismissed Oshada Fernando and Angelo Mathews

Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo

Pakistan’s bowlers worked as a cohesive unit to carve through Sri Lanka’s batting line-up on the opening day of the historic first Test in Rawalpindi.

Despite only 68.1 overs being bowled on the first day, it marked the return of Test cricket to Pakistan after 10 years.

Opting to bat first, Sri Lanka got off to a superb start as captain Dimuth Karunaratne and Oshada Fernando amassed a 96-run partnership, during which Karunaratne brought up his fifty, before he was trapped lbw off the bowling of Shaheen Shah Afridi for 59, which came off 110 balls and included nine boundaries.

Fernando went on to score 40 before he was caught by Haris Sohail at first slip off the bowling of Naseem Shah.

Kusal Mendis was the next to go as he was caught behind off the bowling of debutant Usman Khan Shinwari for 10 runs, while Dinesh Chandimal was clean bowled by Mohammad Abbas for two runs.

Angelo Mathews and Dhananjaya de Silva halted Pakistan’s charge with a 62-run partnership before Mathews was caught by Asad Shafiq at second slip off the bowling of Naseem for 31.

De Silva and Niroshan Dickwella managed to forge an unbeaten 13-run stand before bad light brought play to an end for the day.

De Silva finished on 38, which came off 77 balls and included six boundaries, while Dickwella remained undefeated on 11, which came off 13 deliveries and included two boundaries.

Naseem was the pick of the bowlers with two wickets, while Shinwari, Afridi and Abbas claimed one wicket each.

Sri Lanka ended day one on 202/5 and will continue batting on Thursday at 09:15 local time or 04:15 GMT.