RAWALPINDI – Sri Lanka on Monday won the toss and elected to field against Pakistan in first game of the two-match ICC World Test Championship series at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
Babar Azam-led Pakistan Test team will aim to clinch the series against visitors Sri Lanka after the hosts’ white-ball team won the three-match T20I series 2-1 and triumphed in the ODI tri-nation series as well.
Sri Lanka will also be looking to conclude their all-format tour, which began on 9 October, with a series win. They began the red-ball leg of the tour well by winning the three-day practice match against PCB Patron’s XI by 142 runs.
The 16-member Pakistan Test squad comprises of eight uncapped players including fast bowling duo of Ali Shabbir, Saqib Khan, spin-bowling all-rounder Arafat Minhas and batters Mohammad Suleman, Mohammad Tayyab Arif, Mohammad Taha, Saad Baig and Sameer Minhas.
Among other batters are skipper Babar, who is on the verge of completing 5,000 Test runs, Salman Ali Agha, who was player of the series when Pakistan last faced Sri Lanka in a Test series in 2023, Azan Awais – who is set to play his first home Test after seven outings in the format.
Fast bowling all-rounder Aamir Jamal has also received a call-up after his impressive domestic performances recently, while the experienced Mohammad Abbas will lead the pace attack. Wicketkeeper Muhammad Ghazi Ghori and Razaullah, who made their Test debuts in Pakistan’s recent most red-ball match, are also part of the squad.
Kusal Mendis will begin his tenure as Sri Lanka’s Test captain and the Rawalpindi Test will be his first in-charge having led the Island Nation in six T20Is and 27 ODIs. Both the teams have held only one full-fledged training session each as Sri Lanka are coming on the back of the three-day practice match where nine of Pakistan’s squad members also took the field for PCB Patron’s XI.
On head-to-head front, Pakistan hold an edge over Sri Lanka with 23 Test match wins from 59 matches. Sri Lanka have won 17, while 19 ended in draw. Since 1982, Pakistan has won 10 bilateral Test series, while Sri Lanka have won six with the last coming in 2017.
Pakistan beat Sri Lanka 2-0 in the last meeting of the two teams in Tests in July 2023 where they won the Galle Test by four wickets and Colombo (SSC) Test by an innings and 222 runs.
16-member Pakistan Test squad
Babar Azam (captain), Aamir Jamal, Ali Shabbir, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ghazi Ghori (wk), Mohammad Suleman, Mohammad Taha, Muhammad Tayyab Arif, Razaullah, Saad Baig (wk), Salman Ali Agha, Sameer Minhas, Saqib Khan and Saud Shakeel
Sri Lanka Test squad
Kusal Mendis (c), Anjala Bandara, Dinesh Chandimal, Dhananjaya De Silva, Sonal Dinusha, Asitha Fernando, Prabath Jayasuriya, Lahiru Kumara, Dilshan Madushanka, Eshan Malinga, Kamindu Mendis, Pathum Nissanka, Keshara Nuwantha, Milan Rathnayaka, Pasindu Sooriyabandara
