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Sri Lanka Win Toss, Put Pakistan In to Bat at RawalpindiSports
Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bowl first as a new-look Pakistan, led by Babar Azam, began the first Test of the two-match series in Rawalpindi on Monday.
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The series is part of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27. The first Test runs in Rawalpindi from November 9 to 13, with the second Test to follow at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore from November 17 to 21. Play begins at 9:30am each day, and the match is Pakistan’s first home Test series in a new World Test Championship cycle.
Pakistan named a young side for the series opener. Azan Awais, Tayyab Arif and Mohammad Taha were among the new faces in the playing XI, alongside Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Salman Ali Agha, wicketkeeper Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Arafat Minhas, Razaullah, Muhammad Abbas and Saqib Khan. Babar, who was reappointed captain in July, said the selection was aimed at developing the next group of Pakistan Test players.
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It is Pakistan’s first Test series since a 3-0 whitewash in England, and the selectors have made a clean break. Only Salman Ali Agha and Aamer Jamal returned from the seven players sent home after that tour, with the rest of the places going to younger players given a chance to establish themselves at Test level.
Sri Lanka are also in transition. Kusal Mendis leads the side in his first Test series as captain after taking over from Dhananjaya de Silva in October, and he also kept wicket in the series opener. He was joined in the side by Lahiru Udara, Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva, Sonal Dinusha, Milan Rathnayake, Lahiru Kumara, Asitha Fernando and Dilshan Madushanka.
Pakistan hold the edge in the long rivalry, leading the head-to-head record 23-17 against Sri Lanka. The home side will look to make that advantage count on a Rawalpindi pitch where the early hours were expected to help the seamers, while Sri Lanka will back their bowlers to make early inroads after winning the toss and choosing to field.
Adrian Holdstock of South Africa and Rodney Tucker of Australia are the on-field umpires for the match, with Allahuddien Palekar of South Africa as television umpire and Dean Cosker of England as match referee.
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