Cricket-De Silva steadies Sri Lanka on weather-hit day

Dhananjaya de Silva remained unbeaten after completing his half-century as Sri Lanka reached 263 for six on the weather-hit second day of the opening test against Pakistan at Rawalpindi on Thursday. After bad light wiped out almost 22 overs of play on Wednesday when test cricket returned to Pakistan for the first time since a militant attack in 2009, it was the turn of rain to play spoilsport on Thursday.

A little over 18 overs of play was possible during the entire second day during which Sri Lanka lost Niroshan Dickwella for 33 to paceman Shaheen Afridi after resuming on 202 for five. De Silva hit 11 fours to remain unbeaten on 72 with Dilruwan Perera not out on two when the umpires called off play for the day.

De Silva, who added 67 for the sixth wicket with Dickwella, survived a scare on 48 when Mohammad Rizwan leaped forward to claim a catch off Naseem Shah but replays confirmed the ball had bounced before reaching the wicketkeeper. The right-hander brought up his fifty on the next delivery when he clipped Naseem for two runs to the leg side.

The two-match series marks Pakistan's first tests on home soil since the attack on Sri Lanka's team bus in Lahore a decade ago.

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