Lunch Pakistan 178 for 2 (Shafique 87*, Babar 28*) lead Sri Lanka 166 by 12 runs

Only 10 overs were possible on the second morning, before huge downpours rolled through the SSC and washed out the morning session. By lunch, the ground remained completely covered, with significant rain having fallen on the boundary areas especially, as the ground staff rushed to get the covers in place. The afternoon session is also under threat of being substantially curtailed.

Babar in particular was tentative early on against Prabath Jayasuriya, who bowled 17 dot deliveries to start his day. But eventually, he began to take risks against the left-arm spinner. In Jayasuriya’s fourth over of the day, Babar flitted down the track to slam him high over the extra cover boundary.

At the other end, the runs came more freely off the seamers. Shafique had hit the first boundary of the day with a controlled hook against Dilshan Madushanka, before later, Babar struck Asitha Fernando for two off-side boundaries in an over, though one of them may have been unintentional.

That six off Jayasuriya is the stroke that brought Pakistan level with Sri Lanka’s score. When play was interrupted, they were 12 ahead.