GALLE: Pakistan coach Saqlain Mushtaq admitted his side will miss injury-hit pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi in the second and final Test against Sri Lanka starting from Sunday but hoped other bowlers will step up as his side look to seal a series victory following a morale-boosting win in the opening game.

Shaheen’s absence due to a knee injury will hurt Pakistan, who rely on their quicks to get early wickets even on turning subcontinent pitches. He claimed four wickets in the first innings of the first Test at the Galle International Stadium, which will also hold the second Test, and Pakistan on Saturday added left-arm spinner Nauman Ali to the team in his place.

“He is inspirational, leads the bowling unit from the front, and we will miss his aggression and his presence,” Saqlain said on Saturday. “The way he comes and gives us the breakthrough at the start... hopefully the other bowlers will step up.”

The visitors rode on opener Abdullah Shafique’s unbeaten 160 to chase down a record 342 at the venue on a tense fifth day to take a 1-0 series lead.

The pitch at Galle has changed character in all three matches played in the past few weeks, including two Tests against Australia.

Sri Lankan players believed the pitch went flat on the final two days when Pakistan batted, but Saqlain said his batsmen were up to the task.

“I believe the pitch turned from day one and it kept spinning, but I think our boys showed some really good character in the match,” said the former off-spinner. “It was a show of determination, patience and temperament by our players.”

Sri Lanka skipper Dimuth Karunaratne, meanwhile, said on Saturday that teenage spinner Dunith Wellalage had been included in the final 12 for the second Test.

The 19-year-old Wellalage, a left-arm orthodox who awaits his Test debut, seems a likely replacement for injured spinner Maheesh Theekshana as the hosts look to bounce back after their opening loss.

“Dunith Wellalage is back in the squad” after being released from the Test squad for a domestic match, Karunaratne told reporters.

“Asitha Fernando is back in the 12. Those are the only changes,” he added on the eve of Angelo Mathews’ landmark 100th Test.

Wellalage, also handy with the bat, played a key role with his nine wickets in Sri Lanka’s 3-2 one-day series win over Australia last month, and could partner with Prabath Jayasuriya in the final Test.

Jayasuriya waged a lone battle with his left-arm spin to claim a match haul of nine wickets in the first Test, but found little help from the other end.

“We did pretty well in the first Test but the conditions were not to our assistance,” said Karunaratne. “Another area that we need to work on is first innings batting.”

The venue for the second Test was shifted from Colombo to Galle due to the political unrest in Sri Lanka, and it is the hosts’ final Test of the season, with their next red-ball series a tour to New Zealand in March.

Crucial World Test Championship points will be up for grabs for both teams, with Pakistan third and Sri Lanka sixth in the current standings.

Teams:

SRI LANKA 12: Oshada Fernando, Dimuth Karunaratne (capt), Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Dhananjaya de Silva, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Ramesh Mendis, Dinuth Wellalage, Prabath Jayasuriya, Kasun Rajitha, Asitha Fernando.

PAKISTAN XI: Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Azhar Ali, Babar Azam (capt), Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Yasir Shah, Hasan Ali, Nauman Ali, Naseem Shah.

Published in Dawn, July 24th, 2022