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SL vs PAK | Saud Shakeel's Test Average Nearing 100; Pakistan Batter Challenges Don Bradman

image-lk99d43mSaud Shakeel batted with maturity beyond his years  

Pakistan middle-order batsman Saud Shakeel scored his maiden double century during the first Test match against Sri Lanka in Galle. With an unbeaten score of 208, Shakeel became the first Pakistan batsman to register a double ton on Sri Lankan soil leading his team to a substantial total of 461 on Tuesday and helping them gain a 149-run lead.


Shakeel nears Bradman with astonishing Test average of 98.5

Shakeel, who started the day at 69 not out, played a pivotal role in resurrecting Pakistan's innings from 101/5. He lost his batting partner Agha Salman at the team score of 278, but the determined cricketer continued to bolster Pakistan's position.

The southpaw’s 208* made him the second Pakistan to accomplish this feat in the last seven years, the prior being Abid Ali's 215* against Zimbabwe in 2021. Furthermore, Shakeel is only the second Pakistan player to reach the double-century milestone in his maiden Test match overseas.

Shakeel's early Test career trajectory has been spectacularly impressive, with his lowest score in 11 innings being a respectable 22. The left-handed batsman had already amassed a substantial score of 94 against England in Multan during his second Test and followed it up with a commendable century against New Zealand earlier this year.

Before this match, Shakeel had an impressive Test average of 72.50, with seven half-centuries in 10 innings. This stellar performance against Sri Lanka has inflated his average to an incredible 98.5, only surpassed by the legendary Sir Donald Bradman (99.94) among batsmen who have played more than 10 Test innings.

The 27-year-old batter's current Test record surpasses even the outstanding beginning that his teammate Abdullah Shafique had in the format. After his first 11 Test innings, Shakeel has accumulated an impressive 788 runs, the highest by any Pakistan player in this span, surpassing the likes of Shafique (720) and the great Javed Miandad (654).

Meanwhile, the Karachi-born batter’s commendable performance has provided a promising foundation for Pakistan to break a six-match winless streak in Test cricket. Their last victory in the format was in 2022, ironically at the same venue against the same opposition, Sri Lanka.