Rawalpindi : Pakistan displayed excellent batting on the opening day of the first Test match against Sri Lanka, reaching 281 runs for the loss of five wickets.
Due to poor light, the umpires called an end to the day’s play 15 minutes ahead of the scheduled time. Pakistan fielded four new players. Captain Babar Azam and two debutant batters scored half-centuries, while Saud Shakeel remains at the crease on 57 runs. In the first Test of the series at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bowl first; however, this decision did not prove advantageous for the visiting side on the opening day. After losing their first two wickets, the Pakistani batting lineup steadied the innings and steered the team into a stable position. Pakistan made changes to the squad for this match, providing four players with their maiden opportunity to represent the country in Test cricket. These players included Tayyab Arif, Muhammad Taha, Arafat Minhas, and Saqib Khan. Azan Awais and Tayyab Arif opened the innings for Pakistan, providing a solid start by putting together an 86-run partnership for the first wicket. Azan Awais was caught out off the bowling of Malan Rathnayake after scoring 30 runs.
Making his Test debut, Tayyab Arif batted aggressively, scoring 57 runs off 51 balls. His innings featured nine fours and one six. Pakistan lost their second wicket with the total at 90. Following the early loss of two wickets, captain Babar Azam displayed responsible batting. Partnering with fellow debutant Mohammad Taha, Babar Azam steadied the innings and forged a crucial third-wicket partnership. Babar Azam scored 50 runs off 58 balls—an innings that included 7 boundaries—before being caught off the bowling of Milan Rathnayake with the total at 159. After Babar Azam’s dismissal, Saud Shakeel joined Mohammad Taha, and the pair added 68 runs for the fourth wicket. Adopting a cautious approach, Mohammad Taha scored a half-century on his Test debut. After the tea break, Pakistan suffered their fourth loss when Mohammad Taha’s wicket fell at a team total of 227; he scored 51 runs, including 6 boundaries. Saud Shakeel and Salman Ali Agha attempted to build on the score, but Salman Ali Agha was eventually dismissed for 16 runs with the total at 253.
For Sri Lanka, Asitha Fernando claimed 2 wickets, while Dilshan Madushanka, Milan Rathnayake, and Sonal Dinusha took one wicket each. Pakistan has fielded a fresh side for the first Test, featuring four players making their Test debuts. The national team’s playing XI includes Azan Awais, Tayyab Arif, Muhammad Taha, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Salman Ali Agha, Ghazi Ghouri, Arafat Minhas, Rizwanullah, Muhammad Abbas, and Saqib Khan. For the first Test match, Sri Lanka has opted not to included experienced spinner Prabath Jayasuriya in their playing XI, deciding instead to field four fast bowlers. Sri Lanka’s playing XI consists of Kusal Mendis, Lahiru Udara, Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva, Sonal Dinusha, Milan Rathnayake, Lahiru Kumara, Asitha Fernando, and Dilshan Madushanka. On the current ICC World Test Championship points table, Pakistan sits in last place—ninth—while Sri Lanka holds the seventh position. This Test series is being viewed as a crucial opportunity for both teams to improve their standing in the World Test Championship.