The first Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka will highly be affected by rain on all five days in Galle.
According to the Galle rain forecast, heavy rain, and thunderstorms are expected on all five days of the Test series opener.
Both teams are gearing up for the Test series which will start their campaign in the third ICC World Test Championship cycle.
In the last championship cycle, Sri Lanka merely missed the chance of playing in the final. They lost the first Test of two-match series on the last ball against New Zealand in March this year to miss the chance of featuring in the grand final.
On this tour, Pakistan drew a warm-up game against Sri Lanka President's XI. The bowlers and batters put good performances in the practice game. Shaheen Shah Afridi and Hassan Ali showed their potential and ensured tough competition in the series.
Babar Azam opens up ahead of first Sri Lanka Test
Babar Azam, ranked number three in Test cricket, has stated that the team is taking one step at a time. He also praised the mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed who took 11 wickets in his Test debut against England at Multan in 2022.
“Really excited to be back in red-ball format and all eyes are on the Galle Test as we are prepared and ready for the challenge,” Pakistan captain Babar Azam said, adding: “We are taking one step at a time, but we have to be consistent across all formats.
“One of the positives going into the Galle Test is 13 of our players were here 12 months ago. Abrar Ahmed has identified himself as a good option in our combination. I am sure this tour will be a good learning curve for him as we have high hopes from him in this and future series.”
Squads
Pakistan: Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan, Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Afridi and Shan Masood
Sri Lanka: Dimuth Karunaratne (c), Nishan Madushka, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Matthews, Dinesh Chandimal, Dhananjaya de Silva, Pathum Nissanka, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Kamindu Mendis, Ramesh Mendis, Prabath Jayasuriya, Praveen Jayawickrama, Kasun Rajitha, Dilshan Madushanka, Vishwa Fernando, Lakshitha Manasinghe
Schedule
16-20 July – First Test at Galle International Cricket Stadium
24-28 July – Second Test at Singhalese Sports Club, Colombo