Pakistan's Saqib Khan wreaks havoc against Sri Lanka, enters record books

Pakistan fast bowler Saqib Khan made an immediate impact on his Test debut, claiming a sensational seven-wicket haul to turn the first Test against Sri Lanka in the hosts' favour on a rain-interrupted fourth day at Rawalpindi on Thursday.

The 31-year-old pacer returned impressive figures of 7/130 as Sri Lanka, who had resumed the day at a commanding 404/4, were bowled out for 446. The visitors managed to secure only a slender 12-run first-innings advantage after losing their final six wickets for just 42 runs.

Pakistan responded with 57/1 in 21.2 overs in their second innings before bad light and subsequent rain brought an early end to proceedings at 3:05 pm. The hosts now hold a 45-run lead, with Azan Awais and Mohammad Taha at the crease. Awais was batting on 22 after being given a reprieve when Sri Lanka captain Kusal Mendis dropped him behind the stumps on 17. Taha, one of four Pakistan players making their Test debuts in the match, remained unbeaten on 24 off 55 deliveries, having already registered a half-century in the first innings.

Saqib's performance made him only the fourth Pakistani bowler to take seven wickets in an innings on Test debut. He joined Mohammad Nazir, Mohammad Zahid and Abrar Ahmed in the exclusive list. The right-arm pacer attributed his success to exploiting the conditions and sticking to his natural strengths, particularly his ability to generate outswing.

“My strength is to bowl out-swingers and I did exactly that today under favorable overcast conditions,” Saqib said. “Yesterday was a bad day for us because we couldn't bowl the way we would have liked to, but coach Mike Hesson told us in the dressing room that if we hit the off stump line and bowl out-swingers we will get wickets.”

After struggling to make breakthroughs on the previous day, Pakistan's bowlers found the assistance they needed from the surface on Thursday. The overcast conditions brought the greenish pitch to life, allowing Saqib to trouble the Sri Lankan batters with movement off the surface. He produced a devastating eight-over spell, picking up five wickets for just 25 runs.

The breakthrough came almost immediately as he ended Dhananjaya de Silva's marathon innings of 167, breaking the 249-run fifth-wicket partnership with Mendis. Sri Lanka's captain followed soon after. Saud Shakeel missed another opportunity when he put down a low catch off Mendis, but wicketkeeper Ghazi Ghori made no mistake two deliveries later, completing an impressive diving catch off Saqib. Mendis departed for 119.

The debutant continued his remarkable spell by removing Sonal Dinusha, who had been in impressive form with three centuries and two half-centuries in his previous five Tests. The left-hander made 20 before edging an expansive drive into the slips. Saqib celebrated his fifth wicket by kissing the pitch.

Milan Rathnayake briefly kept Sri Lanka moving towards a bigger total, taking the visitors past Pakistan's first-innings score of 434/9 declared with a boundary off Razaullah. However, Saqib returned to claim two more wickets, including that of Asitha Fernando, who was caught behind by Ghori. Razaullah then brought Sri Lanka's innings to a close by dismissing Rathnayake, who top-edged a pull shot towards deep fine leg.

Pakistan also lost a wicket during their second innings, with debutant Tayyab Arif trapped in front by Fernando for 11 in the third over. Arif's dismissal came after Pakistan had used one of their three available reviews unsuccessfully.

However, Awais and Taha showed patience in challenging batting conditions, preventing Sri Lanka from making further inroads before the weather intervened. With a 45-run advantage and nine wickets remaining, Pakistan will look to build on Saqib's outstanding contribution when play resumes on the final day.