Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka by a whopping margin in the second and final Test, in Colombo, to inflict a series whitewash over the hapless Islanders on Thursday (July 27). Being at their dominant best from the word go, Babar Azam &amp; Co. beat Sri Lanka by an innings and 222 runs to make it two wins in a row in the new 2023-25 ICC World Test Championship (WTC) cycle and continue their dominance at the top in the overall standings.&nbsp;

Talking about the second and final Test, Sri Lanka opted to bat first. However, nothing clicked for them as Abrar Ahmed's 4 for 69 and Naseem Shah's 3 for 41 saw the home side get dismissed for a paltry 166. In reply, Pakistan scored at a brisk rate and rode on Abdullah Shafique's 201 and Agha Salman's 132 not out to declare after posting a mammoth 576 for 5. In the second innings, veteran spinner Noman Ali ended with 7 for 70 as the Lankans continued to struggle with the bat and were dismissed for 180 on Thursday.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/noman-ali-bags-7-as-babar-azam-led-pakistan-crush-sri-lanka-to-whitewash-test-series-2-0-619961">Noman Ali bags 7 as Babar Azam-led Pakistan crush Sri Lanka to whitewash Test series 2-0</a>

Here's the updated WTC points table after Pakistan's series whitewash over SL&nbsp;

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After the Test series win, Pakistan captain Babar said at the post-match presentation,&nbsp;"Very proud to win the series, all credit to the boys and the coaching staff who've worked hard from the last 3-4 months. Everyone put in their efforts for us to win the series. We ticked all the boxes, we worked hard on batting and fielding, not a lot of it in the pitch for the pacers, but they bowled really well in both Tests. This is a team game, Saud in the first Test and Abdullah here were outstanding. We are taking it series by series and will try to perform at our best. We have a plan, we decided to play positive cricket and play up to our strengths, we want an improvement of at least 5-10%, it's not easy to win here, but I think we dominated them in both matches."

While it is early days in the ongoing WTC cycle, Pakistan have started off on a positive note and will like to maintain their good form going forward. Their litmus test will be the tour of Australia, which will commence later this year.&nbsp;

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Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka by a whopping margin in the second and final Test, in Colombo, to inflict a series whitewash over the hapless Islanders on Thursday (July 27).

Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka by a whopping margin in the second and final Test, in Colombo, to inflict a series whitewash over the hapless Islanders on Thursday (July 27). Being at their dominant best from the word go, Babar Azam & Co. beat Sri Lanka by an innings and 222 runs to make it two wins in a row in the new 2023-25 ICC World Test Championship (WTC) cycle and continue their dominance at the top in the overall standings. Talking about the second and final Test, Sri Lanka opted to bat first. However, nothing clicked for them as Abrar Ahmed's 4 for 69 and Naseem Shah's 3 for 41 saw the home side get dismissed for a paltry 166. In reply, Pakistan scored at a brisk rate and rode on Abdullah Shafique's 201 and Agha Salman's 132 not out to declare after posting a mammoth 576 for 5. In the second innings, veteran spinner Noman Ali ended with 7 for 70 as the Lankans continued to struggle with the bat and were dismissed for 180 on Thursday. Also read: Noman Ali bags 7 as Babar Azam-led Pakistan crush Sri Lanka to whitewash Test series 2-0 Here's the updated WTC points table after Pakistan's series whitewash over SL After the Test series win, Pakistan captain Babar said at the post-match presentation, "Very proud to win the series, all credit to the boys and the coaching staff who've worked hard from the last 3-4 months. Everyone put in their efforts for us to win the series. We ticked all the boxes, we worked hard on batting and fielding, not a lot of it in the pitch for the pacers, but they bowled really well in both Tests. This is a team game, Saud in the first Test and Abdullah here were outstanding. We are taking it series by series and will try to perform at our best. We have a plan, we decided to play positive cricket and play up to our strengths, we want an improvement of at least 5-10%, it's not easy to win here, but I think we dominated them in both matches." While it is early days in the ongoing WTC cycle, Pakistan have started off on a positive note and will like to maintain their good form going forward. Their litmus test will be the tour of Australia, which will commence later this year. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Updated WTC points table: Pakistan continue dominance at top after series whitewash over Sri Lanka

Noman Ali took seven wickets to lead Pakistan's rout of Sri Lanka by an innings and 222 runs to clinch the second Test inside four days and sweep the series 2-0 on Thursday. The left-arm spinner took the first seven wickets and fast bowler Naseem Shah took the final three to bowl out Sri Lanka for 188 in the evening session in Colombo. Noman returned with career-best figures of 7-70 in his 15th Test as Sri Lanka suffered their heaviest Test defeat at home.

Pakistan, who won the opening Test by four wickets, declared their first innings on 576-5 after just two overs in the morning session with a blowout lead of 410 runs. Opener Abdullah Shafique stood out with his 201 in an innings that saw three-century stands, including a 124-run partnership with Agha Salman, who smashed an unbeaten 132.

The hosts started strongly with an opening stand of 69 until Noman bowled Nishan Madushka for 33 with his first ball of the day and ruled the roost thereafter. Skipper Dimuth Karunaratne hit boundaries off Naseem and Shaheen Shah Afridi, with Madushka joining the charge until his departure. Left-hander Karunaratne fell for 41 after lunch and Noman soon sent back Kusal Mendis and Dinesh Chandimal before Dhananjaya de Silva attempted to resist in his brief stay with Mathews.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/leaving-r-ashwin-out-of-wtc-final-will-be-indias-biggest-regret-says-veteran-indian-keeper-dinesh-karthik-619959">Leaving R Ashwin out of WTC Final will be India's biggest regret, says veteran Indian keeper Dinesh Karthik</a>

De Silva fell for 10 when he was caught out by Abrar Ahmed while attempting a big heave over long-on. Angelo Mathews hit an unbeaten 63 and put on some fight with Ramesh Mendis before he was finally stumped off Noman, who went wicketless in Sri Lanka's first innings total of 166. Naseem bowled at express pace and reversed the old ball to miss out on a couple of close lbw calls but finally wrapped up the tail with two wickets in one over.

Earlier in the day, Pakistan's concussion substitute Mohammad Rizwan reached 50 off 67 balls with three fours in the second over and put on 108 runs with overnight partner Salman. Pakistan held all the aces after bundling out Sri Lanka for 166, with Shafique's maiden Test double ton guiding them to a mammoth total.

&nbsp;

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Noman Ali took seven wickets to lead Pakistan's rout of Sri Lanka by an innings and 222 runs to clinch the second Test inside four days and sweep the series 2-0 on Thursday.

Noman Ali took seven wickets to lead Pakistan's rout of Sri Lanka by an innings and 222 runs to clinch the second Test inside four days and sweep the series 2-0 on Thursday. The left-arm spinner took the first seven wickets and fast bowler Naseem Shah took the final three to bowl out Sri Lanka for 188 in the evening session in Colombo. Noman returned with career-best figures of 7-70 in his 15th Test as Sri Lanka suffered their heaviest Test defeat at home. Pakistan, who won the opening Test by four wickets, declared their first innings on 576-5 after just two overs in the morning session with a blowout lead of 410 runs. Opener Abdullah Shafique stood out with his 201 in an innings that saw three-century stands, including a 124-run partnership with Agha Salman, who smashed an unbeaten 132. The hosts started strongly with an opening stand of 69 until Noman bowled Nishan Madushka for 33 with his first ball of the day and ruled the roost thereafter. Skipper Dimuth Karunaratne hit boundaries off Naseem and Shaheen Shah Afridi, with Madushka joining the charge until his departure. Left-hander Karunaratne fell for 41 after lunch and Noman soon sent back Kusal Mendis and Dinesh Chandimal before Dhananjaya de Silva attempted to resist in his brief stay with Mathews. Also read: Leaving R Ashwin out of WTC Final will be India's biggest regret, says veteran Indian keeper Dinesh Karthik De Silva fell for 10 when he was caught out by Abrar Ahmed while attempting a big heave over long-on. Angelo Mathews hit an unbeaten 63 and put on some fight with Ramesh Mendis before he was finally stumped off Noman, who went wicketless in Sri Lanka's first innings total of 166. Naseem bowled at express pace and reversed the old ball to miss out on a couple of close lbw calls but finally wrapped up the tail with two wickets in one over. Earlier in the day, Pakistan's concussion substitute Mohammad Rizwan reached 50 off 67 balls with three fours in the second over and put on 108 runs with overnight partner Salman. Pakistan held all the aces after bundling out Sri Lanka for 166, with Shafique's maiden Test double ton guiding them to a mammoth total. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Noman Ali bags 7 wickets as Babar Azam-led Pakistan crush Sri Lanka to whitewash Test series 2-0

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) named a 16-member squad last week for the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka. Babar Azam will lead the Pakistan cricket team in the series scheduled to take place in July. Mohammad Rizwan, on the other hand, retained his role as the vice-captain of the team. The decision to name Rizwan as Babar’s deputy, seems to have not gone down well with former Pakistan cricketer Rashid Latif. The ex-wicketkeeper stated that Sarfaraz Ahmed should have been appointed as the vice-captain of the Pakistan Test team. Criticising the decision to name Rizwan as the vice-captain, Latif said that Sarfaraz’s experience and performance suit him for the role.

"Sarfaraz is the kind of player they [PCB] could have named the vice-captain on this tour. He is capable. He made a comeback after Rizwan's drop in form. Sarfaraz will be part of the playing XI due to previous performance. So retaining Rizwan as vice-captain is not justifiable," Rashid Latif said on YouTube channel Caught Behind.

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<h2>A terrific comeback</h2>

Sarfaraz Ahmed made his Test comeback during the series against New Zealand in December last year. The move to bring back Sarfaraz in the playing XI paid off as the 36-year-old was in sublime form in the two-match Test series against the Kiwis. Coming as Mohammad Rizwan’s replacement, Sarfaraz scored 335 runs in the series at an impressive average of 83.75. Sarfaraz’s brilliant campaign against New Zealand comprised three half centuries and one ton. He had also emerged as the top run-scorer in the Test series. Sarfaraz, quite unsurprisingly, was adjudged Man of the Series for his magnificent batting.

In Tests, Sarfaraz Ahmed has till now represented Pakistan in 51 matches. The Karachi-born has so far scored 2992 Test runs at an average of 38.85. Overall, Sarfaraz has four centuries and 21 half centuries to his name in red-ball cricket.

<h2>Morne Morkel’s appointment</h2>

The PCB, on the other hand, announced that former South Africa fast bowler, Morne Morkel has been appointed as the new bowling coach for the national team. According to media reports, Morkel will be a part of the Pakistan coaching staff during the Test series against Sri Lanka. The two matches between Pakistan and Sri Lanka will be a part of the new World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 cycle.

Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (vc &amp; wk), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Afridi and Shan Masood

&nbsp;

The decision to name Mohammad Rizwan as Babar Azam’s deputy, has not gone down well with Rashid Latif. The former wicketkeeper stated that Sarfaraz Ahmed should have been appointed as the vice-captain of the Pakistan Test side.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) named a 16-member squad last week for the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka. Babar Azam will lead the Pakistan cricket team in the series scheduled to take place in July. Mohammad Rizwan, on the other hand, retained his role as the vice-captain of the team. The decision to name Rizwan as Babar’s deputy, seems to have not gone down well with former Pakistan cricketer Rashid Latif. The ex-wicketkeeper stated that Sarfaraz Ahmed should have been appointed as the vice-captain of the Pakistan Test team. Criticising the decision to name Rizwan as the vice-captain, Latif said that Sarfaraz’s experience and performance suit him for the role. "Sarfaraz is the kind of player they [PCB] could have named the vice-captain on this tour. He is capable. He made a comeback after Rizwan's drop in form. Sarfaraz will be part of the playing XI due to previous performance. So retaining Rizwan as vice-captain is not justifiable," Rashid Latif said on YouTube channel Caught Behind. × A terrific comeback Sarfaraz Ahmed made his Test comeback during the series against New Zealand in December last year. The move to bring back Sarfaraz in the playing XI paid off as the 36-year-old was in sublime form in the two-match Test series against the Kiwis. Coming as Mohammad Rizwan’s replacement, Sarfaraz scored 335 runs in the series at an impressive average of 83.75. Sarfaraz’s brilliant campaign against New Zealand comprised three half centuries and one ton. He had also emerged as the top run-scorer in the Test series. Sarfaraz, quite unsurprisingly, was adjudged Man of the Series for his magnificent batting. In Tests, Sarfaraz Ahmed has till now represented Pakistan in 51 matches. The Karachi-born has so far scored 2992 Test runs at an average of 38.85. Overall, Sarfaraz has four centuries and 21 half centuries to his name in red-ball cricket. Morne Morkel’s appointment The PCB, on the other hand, announced that former South Africa fast bowler, Morne Morkel has been appointed as the new bowling coach for the national team. According to media reports, Morkel will be a part of the Pakistan coaching staff during the Test series against Sri Lanka. The two matches between Pakistan and Sri Lanka will be a part of the new World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 cycle. Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (vc & wk), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Afridi and Shan Masood

Former Pakistan cricketer bats for Sarfaraz Ahmed as Test vice-captain