Saqib Khan turned the Rawalpindi Test on its head on Thursday, wrecking Sri Lanka with a lethal 7 for 130 on debut. The 31-year-old pacer broke the visitors' batting spine in an eight-over burst under heavy skies, triggering an astonishing collapse where Sri Lanka shed their final six wickets for just 42 runs. Resuming Day 4 at a menacing 404 for 4, the islanders folded for 446, managing a razor-thin 12-run first-innings buffer. Pakistan then erased the deficit, reaching 57 for 1 before bad light and driving rain ended play early at 3:05 pm. Pakistan lead by 45 runs with nine wickets in hand heading into Friday's finale.
It was seam bowling of the highest order. The green-tinged Rawalpindi surface, docile through the first three days, came alive as overcast clouds rolled across the garrison city.
Sri Lanka looked untouchable when play began. Dhananjaya de Silva and captain Kusal Mendis had already piled on a marathon 249-run alliance for the fifth wicket, blunting the Pakistani attack. Saqib shattered that resistance almost immediately. Getting the ball to jag away off a pristine off-stump channel, he breached Dhananjaya's defence to dismiss him for 167.
Mendis fell soon after for 119. Saud Shakeel had just floored a low chance, but wicketkeeper Ghazi Ghori made no mistake two deliveries later, diving full-stretch off Saqib to pouch an edge behind the stumps. Saqib was relentless. He lured left-hander Sonal Dinusha—who entered this match riding three centuries and two fifties in his last five Tests—into an ill-advised drive on 20, sending the edge directly to the slips cordon. Saqib celebrated his five-wicket haul by dropping to his knees and kissing the Rawalpindi turf.
My strength is to bowl out-swingers and I did exactly that today under favorable overcast conditions," Saqib stated after play. "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.
| Pakistan 7-Wicket Debut Innings Club | Figures | Opponent | Venue | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mohammad Nazir | 7/99 | New Zealand | Karachi | 1969 |
| Mohammad Zahid | 7/66 | New Zealand | Rawalpindi | 1996 |
| Abrar Ahmed | 7/114 | England | Multan |
Milan Rathnayake dragged Sri Lanka past Pakistan's declared first-innings total of 434 for 9 with a boundary off Razaullah, but Saqib struck again. He removed Asitha Fernando, caught behind by Ghori, before Razaullah closed the innings by having Rathnayake miscue a pull shot directly to deep fine leg.
Pakistan's second innings opened with an early stumble. Debutant Tayyab Arif fell trapped leg-before by Fernando for 11 in the third over, burning one of Pakistan's three reviews in the process. Sri Lanka pushed for more blood, but Azan Awais and Mohammad Taha locked down the crease. Awais survived on 17 when Mendis shelled a routine chance behind the stumps, finishing unbeaten on 22.
Taha, one of four Pakistan debutants in this match alongside Saqib, Arif, and Ghori, showed veteran poise. Having already struck a half-century in the first dig, he blocked out 55 deliveries to finish on 24 not out when umpires called players off the field.
Play resumes Friday morning at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, with Pakistan looking to bat deep into the afternoon before declaring.
| 2022 |
| Saqib Khan | 7/130 | Sri Lanka | Rawalpindi | Current |