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[Watch] Abdullah Shafique's Spectacular Catch Dismisses Samarawickrama

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During the ongoing first Test in Galle, Pakistan's opener Abdullah Shafique showcased a remarkable one-handed close-in catch, standing at short leg, to dismiss Sri Lanka's wicket-keeper batter Sadeera Samarawickrama. 

In the 56th over of the third innings in the Galle Test, Samarawickrama took on Agha Salman's delivery. As he stepped down the pitch, the off-spinner adjusted his length, and Samarawickrama could only manage a slight feather behind the wicket on the leg side. To his misfortune, Shafique, positioned at short leg, made an outstanding one-handed catch despite being off-balance and wrong-footed. 

The dismissal led to Samarawickrama being dismissed at just 11 runs. Shafique's exceptional display in executing the catch, with intelligence, agility, and nimbleness, quickly became a viral sensation on Twitter.


WATCH: Shafique Taking a Blinder

Adding to the impressive fielding display, Pakistan's captain, Babar Azam, also contributed with a sharp one-handed catch while fielding at first slip to dismiss Angelo Mathews.

The ongoing series between Pakistan and Sri Lanka marks the beginning of the World Test Championship (WTC) cycle for both teams. In the first innings, Sri Lanka scored 312 runs and initially gained control over Pakistan. However, Pakistan made an impressive comeback, posting 461 runs in their first innings. In response, Sri Lanka could only manage to score 279, setting a target of 131 runs for Pakistan.

While Pakistan is not widely recognized as a top fielding side in world cricket, they have shown the ability to raise their standards on certain occasions, and the Galle Test proved to be one such occasion.