Babar, Shakeel fifties and Tayyab's debut show hand Pakistan Day 1 honours

Pakistan finished Day 1 of the first Test against Sri Lanka at 281/5 in Rawalpindi after half-centuries from Babar Azam and Saud Shakeel. Debutant Tayyab Arif made an impressive 57 off 51 balls to give the hosts an early boost.Babar scored a fine fifty on Day 1 (Courtesy: AP)Pakistan made the most of a promising start before Sri Lanka fought their way back into the contest on the opening day of the first Test in Rawalpindi. Despite losing wickets at regular intervals across the final two sessions, the hosts managed to finish in a position of relative strength, reaching 281 for 5 at stumps.Debutant Tayyab Arif set the tone with an aggressive 57 off just 51 deliveries, giving Pakistan early momentum alongside Azan Awais. The middle order could not quite replicate that scoring rate, with Sri Lanka finding ways to break partnerships whenever the hosts threatened to build a substantial total.PAK VS SL 1ST TEST DAY 1 HIGHLIGHTSSaud Shakeel, however, ensured Pakistan did not surrender their advantage. The left-hander remained unbeaten on 57 at the close of play and will resume on the second morning with the responsibility of guiding the hosts towards a formidable first-innings score. Sri Lanka captain Kusal Mendis had little hesitation in sending Pakistan in after winning the toss, with a tinge of green on the Rawalpindi surface offering encouragement to his bowling attack. However, the conditions did not provide the assistance he would have hoped for, allowing Pakistan's openers to settle into their innings.Arif was particularly impressive on debut. Rather than allowing the occasion to get to him, the youngster took the attack to Sri Lanka's quicks, capitalising on deliveries pitched too full and finding regular boundaries through the offside. He was equally willing to take on the short ball, clearing the deep fine-leg boundary with one particularly eye-catching stroke. Awais, meanwhile, had a few uncomfortable moments against deliveries moving away from him outside off stump. However, Sri Lanka's inconsistent lengths allowed the opening pair to maintain control for much of the first session. They combined for 16 boundaries before Milan Rathnayaka provided the breakthrough, getting one to come back into Awais and take the edge through to the wicketkeeper.Sri Lanka had barely finished celebrating that dismissal when Asitha Fernando struck in the following over. The pacer found Arif's outside edge, bringing an entertaining opening partnership to an end and giving the visitors some much-needed momentum.Pakistan responded by rebuilding patiently. Babar Azam looked particularly assured at the crease, displaying an array of confident strokes despite his recent struggles for runs. At the other end, Mohammad Taha adopted a more cautious approach, allowing his experienced partner to dictate the tempo.Babar shifted gears after the lunch interval, making the most of some loose deliveries from Dilshan Madushanka. The left-arm pacer strayed in line on multiple occasions, and the Pakistan batter punished him with a series of boundaries through the offside. The attacking burst also took Babar to another half-century.However, his stay ended almost immediately after reaching the milestone. Madushanka corrected his line and length, generating movement away from the right-hander. Babar went for an expansive drive but could only manage an edge through to Mendis behind the stumps.With Pakistan losing another established batter, the responsibility fell on Taha and Shakeel to stabilise the innings. The pair showed considerable patience, negotiating the remainder of the afternoon session without allowing Sri Lanka to take further wickets.Pakistan's progress suffered another setback after tea. Taha, who had worked hard to reach his half-century, attempted an ambitious shot against Sonal Dinusha but mistimed it badly. Dhananjaya de Silva settled underneath the resulting catch to bring his innings to an end.Fernando then added to Pakistan's problems by dismissing Salman Agha. The fast bowler generated extra bounce, catching the batter by surprise as the ball took the shoulder of his bat before carrying through to Mendis.Sri Lanka had another opportunity to put Pakistan under pressure as the evening wore on, but Shakeel remained composed. The left-hander negotiated the final period without giving the visitors another breakthrough, ensuring the hosts retained something to build on heading into the second day.With 281 runs on the board and five wickets remaining, Pakistan will believe they have done enough to finish the opening day slightly ahead. Much will now depend on whether Shakeel can convert his unbeaten half-century into a substantial innings on day two.- Ends