De Silva and Kusal Mendis Set Partnership Record as Sri Lanka Close In on Pakistan

Unbroken 249 stand transforms Rawalpindi Test

Dhananjaya de Silva and Sri Lanka captain Kusal Mendis built an unbeaten partnership of 249, a national record for the fifth wicket against Pakistan, to take the visitors to 404 for four on the third day of the first Test in Rawalpindi on Wednesday, November 11, 2026. Sri Lanka finished just 30 runs behind Pakistan, with six wickets still available.

De Silva was unbeaten on 167 from 241 balls, including 20 fours. Mendis finished on 117 from 188 deliveries, with 10 fours and four sixes. Their partnership surpassed the previous Sri Lankan fifth wicket record against Pakistan of 207, set by Thilan Samaraweera and Tillakaratne Dilshan in Lahore in 2009, by 42 runs.

Poor light ended play after 102 overs of Sri Lanka's innings, with 23 overs still scheduled, interrupting a day in which Sri Lanka added 290 runs and lost only one wicket. Pakistan had begun the morning defending a substantial advantage against a side on 114 for three. By the close, the hosts were searching for a way to separate two batters who had both passed 100.

Pakistan's first innings was recorded as 434 for nine declared from 106.3 overs, the total consistent with Sri Lanka's deficit of 30. A declaration means a captain voluntarily ends the innings before all 10 wickets fall, usually to leave more time to bowl out the opposition.

Sri Lanka still needed 31 more runs to move ahead, rather than simply draw level. With two established batters returning on Thursday, November 12, the visitors had an opportunity to turn their recovery into a lead and then put Pakistan under pressure in the second innings.

From 114 for three to a record partnership

Sri Lanka's recovery began with Kamindu Mendis and de Silva, who had ended the second day unbeaten on 40 and 22 respectively. Their fourth wicket partnership reached 91 before Mohammad Abbas dismissed Kamindu for 58, finding the edge of his bat in the morning session.

Kamindu's final score was 58, with Sri Lanka at 155 for four when Kusal Mendis joined de Silva.

Lahiru Udara had earlier contributed 42. Those runs, followed by Kamindu's half century, helped keep Sri Lanka within reach before the two eventual centurions took control. Kamindu's dismissal proved to be Pakistan's only wicket of the day.

De Silva and Kusal Mendis then supplied more than 61 percent of Sri Lanka's total through their unbroken stand of 249. Their partnership reached 200 in 295 balls. A fifth wicket partnership begins after four batters have been dismissed. In this case, it carried Sri Lanka from a position of considerable danger to within touching distance of Pakistan's score.

A dropped catch gives de Silva room to build

De Silva's innings might have ended much earlier. On 38, he drove loosely and offered a catch to Saud Shakeel at first slip, a catching position beside the wicketkeeper. Shakeel dropped it, allowing de Silva to continue.

By stumps, de Silva had added another 129 runs after that missed opportunity. It was the only catching chance the Sri Lankan batters offered during the day, making it an especially costly moment for Pakistan.

De Silva reached his half century from 67 deliveries and completed his 14th Test hundred with a boundary through mid on against Arafat Minhas. His century came from 151 balls. It was his fourth Test century against Pakistan.

His 20 fours contributed 80 of his 167 runs. The rest came through running between the wickets, keeping the score moving between boundary shots. De Silva continued attacking after Pakistan took the second new ball, passing 150 from 216 deliveries.

Kusal Mendis marks captaincy with a century

Kusal Mendis, recently elevated to the Test captaincy, combined an initially measured approach with increasingly forceful stroke play. He reached 50 from 87 balls, then needed only another 65 deliveries to bring up his 11th Test hundred.

Mendis completed the century from 152 balls with a ramped boundary over the wicketkeeper. Earlier, he had struck Minhas for two straight sixes and pulled Razaullah over deep fine leg for another six, punishing deliveries that allowed him to attack.

His 10 fours and four sixes produced 64 runs, more than half his unbeaten 117. Together, Mendis and de Silva had scored 144 runs in boundaries by the close, giving Pakistan little opportunity to slow the partnership for long.

The pairing also brought together Sri Lanka's former and current Test captains. De Silva provided continuity after resuming overnight, while Mendis helped turn a rebuilding innings into sustained pressure on Pakistan's inexperienced attack.

How Sri Lanka closed the gap

Pakistan's advantage narrowed steadily rather than disappearing in one short burst. Sri Lanka were 249 for four around the time de Silva reached his century, still 185 runs behind. At tea, they had advanced to 348 for four, with de Silva on 141 and Mendis on 90.

By 94 overs, Sri Lanka were 380 for four, leaving a deficit of 54 against Pakistan's 434. De Silva was unbeaten on 152 and Mendis on 109. Sri Lanka crossed 400 in the 101st over and finished on 404 for four after 102 overs.

The main stages of the match show how sharply the balance shifted:

• November 9: The first Test began at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, with Sri Lanka winning the toss and choosing to bowl. The five-day match was scheduled for November 9 to 13.
• November 10: Pakistan declared on 434 for nine. Sri Lanka ended the second day on 114 for three.
• November 11, morning: Abbas dismissed Kamindu Mendis for 58, bringing Kusal Mendis to the crease.
• November 11, tea: Sri Lanka reached 348 for four, reducing the deficit to 86.
• November 11, close: Poor light stopped play at 404 for four after 102 overs, with the fifth wicket stand unbeaten on 249.

Sri Lanka added another 56 runs after tea without losing a wicket. Across the day, their deficit fell from 320 to 30, leaving Pakistan with far less protection for their second innings.

Abbas holds his line as Pakistan struggle

Mohammad Abbas was Pakistan's most economical bowler, finishing the day with two wickets for 64 runs from 29 overs, including 11 maidens. Saqib Khan also had two wickets, but had conceded 105 from 26 overs, including two maidens. Minhas had figures of none for 92 from 21 overs, including two maidens, while Razaullah had conceded 127 without taking a wicket from 23 overs, including one maiden. Salman Agha bowled three overs, including one maiden, and finished with none for nine.

Pakistan had selected two debutant bowlers, Minhas and Saqib, alongside Razaullah, who had played only one previous Test. De Silva and Mendis attacked Minhas's left arm spin and took advantage when the faster bowlers missed their intended direction or length.

Abbas credited the two Sri Lankan batters while describing the challenge facing Pakistan's developing attack:

I would like to give credit to both batters, they played really well," Abbas said. "We gave our effort and beat the bat on a number of occasions, but that's the beauty of test cricket. The cricket board wants to bring in new faces and give them a chance. They are learning.

Pakistan's immediate task was straightforward: take a wicket before Sri Lanka erased the remaining deficit. Another long session without a breakthrough would allow the visitors to build a lead while retaining enough batters to choose when to accelerate.

Pakistan's broad batting effort comes under pressure

Pakistan's first innings had been built on contributions throughout the order. Saud Shakeel led with 93, followed by Tayyab Arif's 57, Mohammad Taha's 51 and Babar Azam's 50. Ghazi Ghori contributed 48.

Arafat Minhas scored 52. Asitha Fernando took three wickets for 107 runs and Dilshan Madushanka three for 108 for Sri Lanka.

Pakistan therefore had several substantial individual contributions, but no century. Sri Lanka's response developed differently: two unbeaten hundreds and one partnership of 249 became the centre of their innings. De Silva and Kusal Mendis had together scored 284 of the visitors' 404 runs, about 70 percent.

Pakistan's total still left Sri Lanka with work to do. A first innings lead would give the visitors a numerical advantage, but winning the Test would also require them to dismiss Pakistan again and, if necessary, complete a final chase within the remaining time.

Sri Lanka seek a lead before deciding on a declaration

Kamindu Mendis said Sri Lanka's first priority was to move ahead of Pakistan. Speaking after his innings of 58, he pointed to the value of having two batters already comfortable at the crease:

We need to get a good first-innings lead," Kamindu said. "Two set batsmen are at the crease and hopefully they'll play well tomorrow as well.

Sri Lanka had not decided when to declare. Kamindu said the morning session would matter and suggested the pitch might become more helpful to bowlers later in the match:

We haven't yet decided when we will declare, but we have to score more runs in the first session tomorrow. I feel maybe tomorrow evening or on the last day it (the wicket) might get good for spinners and there's something in it for the fast bowlers too.

Any declaration decision would involve balancing runs against time. A larger lead would give Sri Lanka's bowlers more protection, while an earlier declaration would leave them more overs to pursue Pakistan's remaining wickets. The loss of 23 scheduled overs to poor light made that balance more pressing.

The series consists of two Tests, both now scheduled for Rawalpindi following the second Test relocation from Lahore because of severe smog. The Pakistan Cricket Board confirmed the move because of worsening smog in Lahore and said the schedule would not change. The second match remains scheduled for November 17 to 21. Pakistan entered the Test series after winning the preceding Twenty20 series 2-1, but Sri Lanka's third day recovery gave the visitors a strong platform in the longer format.

Key Points

• Sri Lanka closed day three on 404 for four, 30 runs behind Pakistan's 434 for nine declared.
• Dhananjaya de Silva was unbeaten on 167 and Kusal Mendis on 117.
• Their unbroken partnership of 249 is Sri Lanka's highest for the fifth wicket against Pakistan, beating the previous record of 207.
• Sri Lanka added 290 runs during the day and lost only Kamindu Mendis, dismissed for 58.
• Mohammad Abbas finished with two wickets for 64 runs, while poor light ended play after 102 overs of Sri Lanka's innings, with 23 overs still scheduled.
• Sri Lanka's priority for day four was a first innings lead, with no declaration time decided.