The Business | SPOThurRsday ,T DeceS mber 121, 20 19 AsadQ cuonigcraktu Rlateesa nd ation on revival of Test Cricket ISLAMABAD: Speaker Na - tional Assembly Asad Qaiser Wednesday congratulated the nation on the revival of Test Cricket in the coun - try after a decade, which was a true depiction of RAWALPINDI: Spectators watching 1st test the peaceful and prosper - match played between Pakistan and Sri Lanka. ous Pakistan. He said that Pakistan had been subjected to worst terrorism which af - fected the peace and stability of the country however, with the con - certed counter terrorism strategy of the government, the armed forces and law enforcing agencies, successfully uprooted the menace, said a press release issued here. Asad Qaiser credited Pakistan and Sri Lankan Cricket Board as well as the players of both team to bring test cricket back to Pakistan. The Speaker wished good luck to both cricket teams and hoped that test cricket series between Pakistan and Sri Lanka would provide opportunity to Pakistani cricket fans to witness good cricket at their home ground. He termed Cricket series between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, a good omen and hoped that other cricket teams would follow the suit. —APP India opener Dhawan to miss West Indies ODIs MUMBAI: India’s opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan needs more time to recover from a knee injury and will miss the three-match one-day international se - ries against West Indies, the country’s cricket board (BCCI) said on Wednesday. The left-hander suffered a deep cut on his left RAWALPINDI: Sri Lanka’s Dimuth knee during a domestic game and RAWALPINDI: Mohammad Abbas celebrates after bowing out Sri Lanka’s Dinesh Chandimal. Karunaratne leaves the field after being dismissed. had already been ruled out of three Twenty20 internationals against the Caribbean side, with the decider scheduled for later on Wednesday in Mumbai. "The BCCI Medical Team feels that while Dhawan’s stitches are off and his wound is healing gradually, he still needs some more time before he regains full match fitness," the board said Pakistan welcome Test cricket return in a statement. Regular Test opener Mayank Agarwal was named Dhawan’s replacement in Virat Kohli’s squad. Agar - wal has played nine Tests but has yet to represent his country in the white ball formats. The first of the three ODIs will be as Sri Lanka reach 202/5 at stumps played in Chennai on Sunday followed by matches at RAWALPINDI: Game evenly and set the platform after Sri Lanka beaten on 14 and with him With foreign teams refusing to pace, hitting Karunaratne on the Visakhapatnam and Cuttack. —AFP poised on day-one as Pakistan won the toss and batted. Once the Dhananjaya de Silva not out on tour, Pakistan have since played helmet in the 19th over. welcome long awaited Test cricket opening stand of 96 was broken, three. The pair then provided 36- their ´home´ fixtures in the United Playing XI Pakistan: Shan Ma - return to the country after 16-year-old pacer Naseem Shah run stand for fifth wicket, as Shah Arab Emirates, meaning all of sood, Abid Ali, Azhar Ali (cap - Stokes says will be fit a decade. had Oshada Fernando caught in the claimed his second wicket of the their current team are now playing tain), Babar Azam, Haris Sohail, to bowl in South Africa The day started with national an - slip for 40, laced with six bound - game in shape of experienced their first Test on home soil. How - Asad Shafiq, Mohammad Rizwan thems following the toss which aries and a six. Mathews (31). ever, as security has improved, (wicket-keeper), Usman Khan won by the visitors. Batting first Usman Shinwari also claimed The game was interrupted in Pakistan has gradually revived in - Shinwari, Mohammad Abbas, LONDON: All-rounder Ben Sri Lanka were in commanding po - his first wicket when Kusal 68.1 over due to bad light before ternational cricket with limited- Naseem Shah and Shaheen Afridi Stokes is confident he will sition as they see off the first ses - Mendis edged him to wicket - umpires decided to call the stumps overs matches against Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka: Dimuth be fit to bowl in England’s sion without losing a wicket and 89 keeper Mohammad Rizwan for 10, with Sri Lanka 202/5. It is worth World XI, the West Indies and Sri Karunaratne (captain), Oshada upcoming five-Test series runs on the board. Following the while Mohammad Abbas bowled to mention here that, Sri Lanka Lanka over the last four years. Fernando, Kusal Mendis, Dinesh in South Africa after un - lunch break, Shaheen Shah Afridi Dinesh Chandimal for two with a have embarked on the first Test Pakistan, who surprisingly left out Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, dergoing scans on his provided a much needed break - beautiful delivery. After the break tour of Pakistan since the gun-and- their key spinner Yasir Shah and Dhananjaya de Silva, Niroshan troublesome left knee. through by removing Sri Lankan though, Pakistan pacers showed rocket attack in March 2009 killed opted for a four-man pace attack, Dickwella (wicket-keeper), Dil - Stokes felt pain during skipper Dimuth Karunaratne, who some form and picked up three eight people and wounded visiting struggled for a breakthrough. ruwan Perera, Vishwa Fernando, the opening day of the sec - scored 59. Karunaratne hit nine more wickets before heading into players and officials, plunging Naseem was the stand-out bowler Kasun Rajitha and Lahiru ond Test against New boundaries in his 110-ball knock the tea. Angelo Mathews was un - Pakistan into sporting isolation. in the morning as he generated Kumara. —AFP Zealand and did not bowl again that day, though he did re - turn later in the match to bowl a further 25 overs. “I got some scans when we got back in England and there’s nothing really showing up on the MRI scans, which is Australia unchanged for Aleem Dar set to break record good news,” the 28-year-old told British radio station Talk - Sport. “I just need to toughen up I guess but it’s alright and it’s just treatment now. I will be fine to bowl.” Stokes had New Zealand day-night Test for most Tests as umpire surgery to repair torn cartilage in the same knee in 2016. The PERTH: Australia will are performing really well. nearly two years ago PERTH: Pakistan's elite umpire Aleem first Test of the series begins at Centurion on Dec. 26. — field the same team for the "That´s what we wanted so against England in Auck - Dar will break Jamacian Steve Bucknor’s Reuters third Test in a row when we´re going to go with the land. Stifling forecast tem - record of most Test matches as an umpire in they face New Zealand in same team." That means peratures of 40 Celsius the first Test match between Australia and New Zealand spearhead sauna-like conditions Mitchell Starc, Pat Cum - (104 Fahrenheit) over the New Zealand, which commences in Perth on under lights at Perth -- a mins and Josh Hazlewood first three days could also Thursday. Boult a doubt for first under Tim Paine´s again lead the attack, with have an impact, particu - The 51-year-old, who took up umpiring first Test captaincy. James Pattinson and larly on the visitors who after a decade of playing first-class cricket in Coach Justin Langer has Michael Neser missing out. are coming off a 1-0 series Pakistan, stands in his 129th Test match as been working hard to Paine suggested that win against England. Paine on-field umpire since his debut in Dhaka in PERTH: New mould a steady XI and might change for the next insisted the conditions 2003 during England’s tour of Bangladesh. Zealand’s Trent Boult after thrashing Pakistan in two Tests in Melbourne and would not affect his play - Starting his international career in 2000 remains a doubt for the two recent Tests sees no Sydney, which are closer ers, who are more accus - during Pakistan’s home ODI series against first Test against Aus - reason to chop and change together. "But at the mo - tomed to the Australian Sri Lanka, Dar has officiated in 207 One Day tralia due to a side injury for a tougher day-night as - ment the three big fellas are summer. "We´re a profes - Internationals and is only two matches shy of but captain Kane signment against the Black fit and firing," he said. Aus - sional team. Our prepara - the record of 209 matches in that format held Williamson says he will Caps. "We´ve been playing tralia have momentum tion and recovery is a little by Rudi Koertzen of South Africa. Dar has give the pace spearhead some really good cricket, going into Thursday´s bit more important," he also officiated in 46 Twenty20 Internation - every chance to prove his fit - happy with the way it´s game. They have never lost said. "We’re all Aus - als. watching some memorable matches and ness before the match begins in going so we´re trying to get at the new Perth Stadium tralians, we’re all used to it "This is one milestone I had never thought achievements like Brian Lara’s Test knock of Perth on Thursday. The tourists are sweating on the fitness a consistent team to - and have won all six day- probably barring me and of when I began my umpiring career. It is a 400 not out and South Africa’s epic chase of of their ace quick with the pink ball used in the inaugural gether," Paine told re - night Tests they have ´Wadey´," he added, refer - truly amazing feeling and a high point of my Australia’s score of 434 in an ODI in Johan - day-nighter at Perth Stadium set to suit Boult’s penchant porters Wednesday.