KARACHI, March 18: Leg-spinner Gihan Rupasinghe grabbed four for 54 to help Sri Lanka restrict Pakistan to a first-innings total of 251 on the opening day of the first under-19 Test at the Quaid-i-Azam Cricket Park (Steel Town) on Friday. The tourists capped a fine day to reach 62 without loss in only 11 overs with Upul Tharanga striking seven boundaries on his way to 34 off 38 balls. Skipper Harsha Vithana was batting on 24, a knock that includes four fours.
Earlier, Pakistan overcame a poor start after skipper Jahangir Mirza won the toss and opted to have first use of the placid pitch. Abid Ali lasted just three deliveries as medium-pacer Charita Jayaweera had him caught behind by Gihan de Silva.
Left-handed Nasir Jamshed, the Pakistan vice-captain, played some handsome strokes during a polished 44 off 49 balls. His innings containing eight hits to the fence. It was then left to two other left-handers to lift Pakistan towards a respectable total. Fawad Alam led the way with a solid 73 in 187 minutes. His fine 147-ball innings was laced with seven fours. Adnan Raza made exactly 50 with the help of four boundaries in 99 balls. The pair added 55 for the fifth wicket.
Fawad then found another useful partner in Sohaib Maqsood who helped him put on 51 for the seventh wicket. Sohaib scored 23 off as many deliveries.
Rupasinghe, who had dismissed Adnan, Fawad and Sohaib, ended the innings by trapping Uzairul Haq leg-before-wicket for no score. In between Angelo Mathew, the medium-pacer, chipped in with two late strikes as the final three wickets yielded only nine runs.
Scoreboard
PAKISTAN UNDER-19 (1st Innings):
Abid Ali c De Silva b Jayaweera 0
Nasir Jamshed c De Silva b Kulasekera 44
Jahangir Mirza lbw b Jayaweera 14
Fahad Iqbal c and b Perera 14
Adnan Raza c Kulasekera b Rupasinghe 50
Fawad Alam c De Silva b Rupasinghe 73
Sohaib Maqsood c Perera b Rupasinghe 23
Naeem Anjum not out 17
Mohammad Shahzad c Silva b Mathew 4
Nauman Alvi b Mathew 0
Uzairul Haq lbw b Rupasinghe 0
EXTRAS (B-4, NB-8) 12
TOTAL (all out, 76.4 overs) 251
FALL OF WKTS: 1-0, 2-33, 3-65, 4-93, 5-148, 6-188, 7-239, 8-248, 9-248.
BOWLING: Jayaweera 8-1-35-2; Perera 12-1-49-1 (5nb); Kulasekera 10-1-32-1; Mathew 15-3-47-2 (2nb); Vithana 8-3-10-0; Rupasinghe 17.4-2-54-4 (4nb); Serasinghe 6-1-20-0.
SRI LANKA UNDER-19 (1st Innings):
U. Tharanga not out 34
H. Vithana not out 24
EXTRAS (NB-4) 4
TOTAL (for no wkt, 11 overs) 62
TO BAT: C. Kapugedera, K. Silva, S. Serasinghe, G. de Silva, A. Mathew, C. Perera, G. Rupasinghe, C. Jayaweera, C.B.K. Kulasekera.
BOWLING (to-date): Uzairul Haq 3-1-24-0 (3nb); Mohammad Shahzad 5-1-31-0; Jahangir Mirza 2-15-0, Nauman Alvi 1-0-2-0 (1nb).
UMPIRES: Afzaal Ahmed and Riazuddin.
MATCH REFEREE: Naeem Ahmed.