Pakistan Tour of Sri Lanka Tests July 2022: Series Drawn 1-1 — Shafique 160* Leads Highest Successful Chase at Galle (Pakistan Won 1st Test by 4 Wickets, Target 342), Babar 119, Jayasuriya 5/82 on Debut, Shaheen 4/58, Sri Lanka Win 2nd Test by 246 Runs (Ramesh Mendis 5-For)

The Pakistan tour of Sri Lanka Tests in July 2022 ended in a 1-1 draw across two Tests, both played at Galle International Stadium. 1st Test Galle (July 16-20, 2022): Pakistan won by 4 wickets — Sri Lanka 222 & 337; Pakistan 218 & 344/6. Sri Lanka's 1st innings of 222 was built around Dinesh Chandimal's 76, while Shaheen Shah Afridi took 4/58 in Sri Lanka's 1st innings to keep them to a total Pakistan could match. Pakistan made 218 in reply, with Babar Azam scoring 119 but also losing wickets to Prabath Jayasuriya, who took 5/82 on his Test debut — an immediate impact for a left-arm spinner. Sri Lanka's 2nd innings of 337 set Pakistan a target of 342 — the highest successful run chase at Galle International Stadium in Test cricket. Chandimal again batted with discipline in the 2nd innings, scoring 94 not out; Kusal Mendis made 76 and Oshada Fernando 64. Abdullah Shafique's 160 not out in the 4th innings chase — off 406 balls — was the highest individual innings in that successful Galle chase. Jayasuriya took 4/135 in the 4th innings but could not prevent Pakistan completing the chase. Player of the Match: Shafique. 2nd Test Galle (July 24-28, 2022): Sri Lanka won by 246 runs — Sri Lanka 378 & 360/8 declared; Pakistan 231 & 261. Ramesh Mendis took a five-wicket haul in Pakistan's 1st innings, putting Sri Lanka firmly in control. Sri Lanka's combined 738 runs across their two innings gave them a 507-run lead (after 378-231=147 lead after 1st innings + declared 2nd innings), and Pakistan were bowled out for 261 in the 4th innings, losing by 246 runs. The two-Test series was drawn 1-1.

Shafique's 160* and the Record Galle Chase

Abdullah Shafique's 4th-innings 160 not out at Galle in July 2022 was one of the most technically accomplished innings of Pakistan's 2022 Test calendar. At 406 balls in duration, the innings required sustained concentration against Jayasuriya's left-arm spin — a difficult combination at Galle, where the pitch has historically assisted spinners significantly after the first two days. Jayasuriya had announced himself with 5/82 on Test debut in the 1st innings and then returned 4/135 in the 4th innings, meaning Pakistan's chase was played largely against the same debutant bowler. Shafique's ability to score 160 off 406 balls while managing Jayasuriya's drift and turn — and Mendis's off-spin from the other end — at a venue where high 4th-innings chases have historically failed was the individual performance that defined the match. The target of 342 at Galle surpassed the previous highest successful chase at that venue. Babar's 119 in the 1st innings and Shafique's 160* in the 4th illustrated that Pakistan's batting, when functioning at its best, could match Sri Lanka's spin-friendly home conditions.

Prabath Jayasuriya's Debut and Sri Lanka's 2nd-Test Recovery

Prabath Jayasuriya's Test debut in the 1st Test at Galle was immediately impactful: 5/82 in the 1st innings and 4/135 in the 4th innings (totalling 9 wickets in his debut Test) made him the leading wicket-taker in the match despite Pakistan winning. Sri Lanka's selectors had identified Jayasuriya as a long-term spinning asset for home conditions, and his debut confirmed that assessment. In the 2nd Test, Sri Lanka's response to their 1st-Test defeat was emphatic. Ramesh Mendis's five-wicket haul in Pakistan's 1st innings restricted Pakistan to 231, while Sri Lanka's own 378 in the 1st innings gave them a 147-run lead. Their 2nd-innings declaration at 360/8 set Pakistan a target of over 500, and Pakistan's 261 in the 4th innings — falling well short — was a straightforward batting performance for Sri Lanka's attack to execute. Sri Lanka's 2nd-Test win by 246 runs levelled the series 1-1, demonstrating that on Galle's spinning surface, Sri Lanka retained the ability to outmanoeuvre Pakistan when they bowled first and built a big enough lead.