Watch FIFA World Cup 2026™

LIVE, FREE and EXCLUSIVE

Karunaratne falls short for Sri Lankans

Dimuth Karunaratne fell agonisingly short of a seventh Test ton as Sri Lanka closed day one of the first Test against Pakistan in a strong position.

Dimuth Karunaratne.
Dimuth Karunaratne trudges off after being dismissed for 93 on an otherwise good day for Sri Lanka. (AAP)

Dimuth Karunaratne has been run out seven runs short of a century on day one of the first Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi.

Sri Lanka opener Karunaratne had helped rescue his side from 3-61 before a mix-up with Dinesh Chandimal saw him sent him packing after a fourth-wicket stand of 100.

Chandimal (60 not out) recorded his 13th Test half-century as the tourists closed the opening day on 4-227.

Pakistan, playing a Test match for the first time since Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan retired, had their opponents struggling and three wickets down at lunch.

Kaushal Silva played on to his stumps facing Hasan Ali before Yasir Shah trapped Lahiru Thirimanne lbw and then had Kusal Mendis caught behind.

News that makes sense

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Karunaratne and Chandimal battled through a testing afternoon session without losing a wicket as Sri Lanka fought back.

But with a seventh Test century seeming inevitable, Karunaratne set off for a single when on 93 only for Chandimal to stay in his crease. New Pakistan Test captain Sarfraz Ahmed completed the run out.

Test cricket's new laws came into play three balls later when Pakistan called for a review in an attempt to overturn a not-out lbw decision against Niroshan Dickwella. The technology returned a verdict of 'umpire's call', which no longer sees the unsuccessful team lose one of their two reviews per innings.

Dickwella made the most of his reprieve and went on to hit the day's sole six as he ended unbeaten on 42.


2 min read

Published

Source: AAP


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world