GALLE, Sri Lanka, July 20, 2022 (BSS/AFP) - Abdullah Shafique hit an epic 160
to anchor Pakistan's record chase of 342 at Galle as the tourists won a
thrilling opening Test against Sri Lanka on Wednesday.

The opener capped his marathon display with the winning runs in the final
session on day five, jumping for joy and pumping his fist as Pakistan
triumphed by four wickets for a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.

Left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya took a match haul of nine wickets but his
efforts were in vain as the visitors battled past the previous best chase in
Galle of 268 by Sri Lanka against New Zealand in 2019.

The 22-year-old Shafique excelled with his second Test ton. He built crucial
partnerships including a 101-run third-wicket stand with skipper Babar Azam,
who made 55 after his 119 in the first innings on a tricky pitch to bat on.

"We know how to play spin so we believed," Azam said after the tense win.
"When I was batting with Abdullah Shafique we were just trying to build a
partnership. He has shown his class."

Shafique, who was named man of the match, said: "It was difficult but with
time it was easier. Babar is one of the best in the world. We have learnt so
much from him. I enjoyed batting with him in the middle."

The unbeaten Shafique finally combined with Mohammad Nawaz, 19 not out, to
take the visitors home after a brief rain interruption halted their charge.
The teams had taken early tea before returning for the third session of play.

Shafique survived three dropped catches, on 70, 135 and 151, but deserved his
luck and played the anchor's role to perfection as he surpassed his previous
Test best of 136 not out.

Pakistan had a few anxious moments after Jayasuriya, who sent back talisman
Azam before the close on day four, struck at the stroke of lunch to get
debutant Salman Ali Agha out for 12.

Hasan Ali fell for five in the second over of the second session after being
promoted up the order to hit out the remaining runs.

- Lone man Jayasuriya -

Jayasuriya, who took 12 wickets on debut in a series-levelling Test win over
Australia last week at the same venue, six in each innings, kept up the
pressure but Shafique stood firm.

Pakistan resumed the day on 222-3 and Sri Lanka soon used up their remaining
two umpire reviews, with Jayasuriya involved in both calls.

Mohammad Rizwan opened his day's account with a boundary off Ramesh Mendis
and kept up his positive intent by taking singles and twos, before he fell
lbw to Jayasuriya for 40.

"With the ball we could not support Prabath from the other end. We had to
give him more support," skipper Dimuth Karunaratne said of his lead spinner,
who toiled for 95.2 overs in the two innings combined.

A review did not save Rizwan, a wicketkeeper-batsman who has come into the
two-match series after a successful stint with English county Sussex.

Dinesh Chandimal kept up his blazing form in an unbeaten 94 -- his second
successive half-century -- when he ran out of partners in Sri Lanka's second-
innings total of 337.

In a match of tail-end fightbacks, Azam hit a defiant century in Pakistan's
first innings and batted patiently with the lower order after the visitors
slipped to 85-7 on day two.

The second Test starts Sunday, also in Galle, after it was moved from Colombo
due to the political unrest in Sri Lanka.