Pakistan VS Sri Lanka Match ball by ball Commentary

Heading into the final day - That wraps up a rather stop-start day in Rawalpindi, where the weather allowed only fleeting glimpses of cricket and left plenty to be done on the final day. A draw is now looking the likeliest outcome, although a couple of dramatic batting collapses or a sudden change in the behaviour of the surface could still bring the other results into play. Cricket, after all, is a funny game, and all three results remain mathematically possible heading into the final day. Day 5 gets underway on Friday, November 13, at 4.30 am GMT. Do join us a little earlier for all the build-up and latest updates. Until then, take care and cheers!

Saqib's seven-for makes it an even contest - The fourth morning belonged to Pakistan, with debutant Saqib Khan producing a sensational spell to complete a seven-wicket haul and bowl Sri Lanka out for 446, giving the visitors a slender 12-run lead. Dhananjaya de Silva fell for a magnificent 167, while Kusal Mendis made 119, but Pakistan struck regularly to clean up the remaining six wickets. Their reply began with an early setback as Asitha Fernando dismissed Tayyab Arif for 11, but Azan Awais and Mohammad Taha steadied things, taking Pakistan to 39/1 at Lunch and establishing a 27-run lead.

10.15 am GMT - STUMPS, DAY 4! And that's the end of the road for Day 4, with the umpires officially calling off play for the day. A frustrating outcome, but an inevitable one given the rain and gloomy conditions that have hampered proceedings throughout. The players will have to wait another day for a chance to get back out there, with hopes of better weather on the final day.

... DAY 4, SESSION 3 ...

Awais and Taha weather the storm - Azain Awais and Mohammad Taha showed good composure under pressure, weathering the challenging spell to remain unbeaten in their 20s and stretch Pakistan's lead to 45 runs. However, just as the pair were beginning to settle, bad light and rain intervened and we never got back on in this session. Play is scheduled to resume at around 10.10 am GMT, but with the gloomy conditions persisting, the wait could well be much longer.

Lankan pacers maintain the pressure - Overcast conditions continued to hang over Rawalpindi, and Sri Lanka’s pacers kept hammering away at the awkward channels to keep the batters in check. Lahiru Kumara and Milan Rathnayaka bowled tirelessly, probing away without giving much away and steadily tightening the pressure. They extracted enough bounce to trouble the batters on a few occasions, and Rathnayaka nearly had his reward for such disciplined bowling, only for Kusal Mendis to put down the chance.

9.50 am GMT - TEA, DAY 4! Tea has been taken, but unfortunately, there is still no respite from the weather in Rawalpindi. The players remain off the field, with the persistent gloom and threat of further rain continuing to frustrate any hopes of a resumption. Time is running out for any meaningful action on Day 4.

9.40 am GMT - It's almost Tea time, but there has been no improvement in the conditions, with the gloomy weather continuing to hold things up. It looks like the the drizzle has stopped, but getting sufficient light to resume play could prove a big ask. The prospects of any further action today are looking increasingly slim.

9.10 am GMT - No positive updates from Rawalpindi as it continues to drizzle. It has been nearly 45 minutes since play was halted, and an early Tea break looks highly likely. Stay tuned for further updates, and let's hope the weather clears soon.

8.53 am GMT - And… it looks like it's drizzling in Rawalpindi. The pitch has already been covered with a white sheet, while additional covers are being brought out to protect the rest of the playing area. The rain was expected to arrive in the afternoon, and with the skies continuing to darken, the rest of the day looks increasingly likely to be affected by the weather.