Watch: Monitor Lizard Stops Play During Day 2 of Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Test in Colombo

An unwanted visitor on the second day of the ongoing one-off Test between Sri Lanka and Afghanistan brought the play to a halt in Colombo. A monitor lizard made his appearance spending some time in the field of play before scooting off.

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During the 48th over of the Sri Lankan innings, the officials were pulled into action as they tried to scare a monitor lizard that had made its away on the field. After a brief interruption, it headed out of sight.

During the Lanka Premier League last year, multiple times matches were halted due to snakes slithering onto the field.

Afghanistan are in Sri Lanka for a one-off Test that got underway at the Sinhalese Sports Club on Friday. This is the first time that the two teams are squaring off in a Test match.

Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva won the coin toss and opted to bowl first. The tourists suffered a blow as early as the second ball of the match when opener Ibrahim Zadran was trapped LBW by Asitha Fernando for a two-ball duck.

A solid recovery followed but Sri Lanka kept chipping away at the wickets. Barring Rahmat Shah, who top-scored with 91 off 139, no other Afghanistan batter managed a score of some significance.

Vishwa Fernando took 4/51 while Asitha Fernando and Prabath Jayasuriya took three wickets each to bowl out Afghanistan for 198 in 62.4 overs.

Sri Lanka made a solid reply with their openers Dimuth Karunaratne and Nishan Madhushka adding 93 runs in just 16.1 overs before being separated.

Afghanistan hit back with three quick strikes reducing Sri Lanka to 148/3 before veteran allrounder Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal seized the control with a century stand for the fourth wicket.

At the tea break, Sri Lanka had reached 287/3 in 69 overs, leading by 89 runs.

Mathews had made 79* off 152 while Chandimal was unbeaten on 68 off 116.