Only 32 deliveries were possible on the third day of the first Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka at Rawalpindi. Overnight rain prevented any play during the first session and an early lunch was called.

The covers were removed by the afternoon as play started at 1:10 pm with the expectations of a two and half hour session of play. However, 5.2 overs later, visibility became an issue as the umpires deemed that the light wasn’t adequate for play to continue. Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi were the only bowlers used and 20 runs were scored in that brief passage of  play.

The conditions never improved and thus play did not resume.

Dhananjaya de Silva edged closer to his sixth Test century by adding 15 runs to his overnight score and remained unbeaten on 87 alongside all-rounder Dilruwan Perera. The duo have added 26 runs for the sixth wicket.

Only 91.5 overs off the stipulated 270 overs have been possible in three days of Test cricket.

This is the first of the two-match series between the two teams which is part of the ICC Test Championship. Pakistan are hosting their first Test in over ten years.

Brief Scores:

Day 3 – Stumps

Sri Lanka 282/6 (Dhananjaya de Silva 87*, Dimuth Karunaratne 59; Shaheen Afridi 2/58)