Daily Times

RAWALPINDI: Bad light halted play in Rawalpindi on Friday as conditions continued to play havoc with Pakistan´s first home Test in a decade, against Sri Lanka.

After day three´s first session was washed out by wet weather, only 27 minutes of play was possible before the players walked off with just 5.2 overs bowled.

Sri Lanka, who won the toss and batted, are 263-6 in their first innings with Dhananjaya de Silva unbeaten on 72 and Dilruwan Perera on two.

For Pakistan, 16-year-old paceman Naseem Shah (2-75) and Shaheen Shah Afridi (2-47) were the pick of the bowlers.

Rain and bad light halted play for all but 83 minutes on Thursday, during which Sri Lanka added 43 runs in 18.2 overs before stumps were drawn.

Sri Lanka, who won the toss and batted, were 263-6 in their first innings with Dhananjaya de Silva unbeaten on 72 and Dilruwan Perera on two.

For Pakistan, 16-year-old paceman Naseem Shah (2-75) and Shaheen Shah Afridi (2-47) were the pick of the bowlers.

De Silva, who added 67 for the sixth wicket with Dickwella, survived a scare on 48 when Mohammad Rizwan leapt forward to claim a catch off Naseem Shah but replays confirmed the ball had bounced before reaching the wicketkeeper.

The right-hander brought up his fifty on the next delivery when he clipped Naseem for two runs to the leg side.

The conditions have put a dampener on the long-awaited return to Test cricket in Pakistan, following the 2009 attack on Sri Lanka’s team bus that left eight people dead and several players and officials wounded.