Saud Shakeel came agonisingly close to scoring a century for the second time in the same Test but his 97-run knock helped Pakistan hold off Sri Lanka and secure a draw in the opening match of the series in Rawalpindi on Friday.Shakeel, who had scored 93 in Pakistan’s first innings total of 434/9 declared, fell just three runs short of his century in the second innings. The left-hander spent most of the fifth and final day at the crease before Lahiru Kumara bowled him after he had faced 210 deliveries.By the time Shakeel was dismissed, Pakistan had reached 284/8, taking their overall lead to 272 runs. With little time left for a result, both teams agreed to a draw and shook hands.While Shakeel’s effort helped Pakistan avoid defeat, his twin scores of 93 and 97 also put him on an unwanted list in Test cricket history. He became only the sixth batter to be dismissed between 90 and 99 in both innings of the same Test match.Players dismissed in the 90s twice in a Test
- 98 & 97 C Hill bs Eng Adelaide 1902
- 95 & 93 F Woolley vs Aus Lord’s 1921
- 91 & 96 G Greenidge vs Pak Georgetown 1977
- 91 & 97 G Greenidge vs NZ Christchurch 1980
- 92 & 96 M Jayawardene vs NZ Colombo SSC 2009
- 93 & 97 Saud Shakeel vs SL Rawalpindi 2026
The list includes some well-known names, with Australia’s Clem Hill being the first to achieve the feat in 1902. Hill scored 98 and 97 against England in Adelaide. England’s Frank Woolley followed with scores of 95 and 93 against Australia at Lord’s in 1921.West Indies great Gordon Greenidge features twice on the list. He scored 91 and 96 against Pakistan in Georgetown in 1977, before making 91 and 97 against New Zealand in Christchurch in 1980. Sri Lanka’s Mahela Jayawardene was the last batter before Shakeel to register the unwanted distinction, scoring 92 and 96 against New Zealand in Colombo in 2009.Shakeel is the first batter since Jayawardene in 2009 to be dismissed in the nervous nineties in both innings of a Test.The draw was Pakistan’s first in the current World Test Championship cycle. They have now recorded seven defeats and two wins in their previous nine matches in the cycle.The second Test will also be played at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium from next Tuesday. The venue was shifted from Lahore because of rising smog levels in the city.