Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bowl first against Pakistan in the first Test of the two-Test home series against Sri Lanka at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Monday.
At the toss, Pakistan captain Babar Azam said that the home side would feature four debutants, adding that the team would look to play to their strengths in the opening session.
The four debutants for the home side include Tayyab Arif, Mohammed Taha, Arafat Minhas, and Saqib Khan.
Babar also pointed out that the squad includes experienced players, expressing confidence in the team’s composition.
Playing XIs
Pakistan: Azan Awais, Tayyab Arif, Mohammed Taha, Babar Azam (c), Saud Shakeel, Salman Agha, Ghazi Ghori (wk), Arafat Minhas, Razaullah, Mohammad Abbas, and Saqib Khan.
Sri Lanka: Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Lahiru Udara (wk), Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva, Sonal Dinusha, Kusal Mendis (c), Milan Rathnayake, Lahiru Kumara, Asitha Fernando, and Dilshan Madushanka.
The home side will face Sri Lanka in the second Test on November 17 at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
Pakistan and Sri Lanka have faced each other in 59 Test matches, with Pakistan enjoying the upper hand with 23 victories, while Sri Lanka have won 17 encounters. The remaining 19 matches ended in draws.
The series marks Sri Lanka’s first Test tour of Pakistan since 2019, when the Islanders returned to the country for the longest format after a decade-long absence.
During their previous visit, Pakistan, led by Azhar Ali, secured a 1-0 series victory. The opening Test in Rawalpindi ended in a draw before the hosts registered a comprehensive 263-run victory in the second match in Karachi.
This is a developing story and is being updated with further details.