Pakistan and Sri Lanka are set to resume their Test rivalry after a gap of more than three years, when they face each other in the first of the two-match series at the Galle International Stadium on Monday.
The series will consist of two Tests, which will be played in Galle and Colombo from July 16 to 28, 2023. The first Test will start at 10:00 AM IST, while the second Test will start at 9:30 AM IST.
Sri Lanka won the toss and decided to bat first.
Srilanka score: 18/1 in 5.5 overs/
Sri Lanka: 1 Dimuth Karunaratne (capt), 2 Nishan Madushka, 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Angelo Mathews, 5 Dinesh Chandimal, 6 Dhananjaya de Silva, 7 Sadeera Samarawickrama (wk), 8 Ramesh Mendis, 9 Prabath Jayasuriya, 10 Kasun Rajitha, 11 Vishwa Fernando.
Pakistan: 1 Abdullah Shafique, 2 Imam-ul-Haq, 3 Shan Masood, 4 Babar Azam (capt), 5 Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), 6 Saud Shakeel, 7 Agha Salman, 8 Nauman Ali, 9 Naseem Shah, 10 Abrar Ahmed, 11 Shaheen Shah Afridi.
Both teams have undergone significant changes since their last encounter in 2019, which Pakistan won by 263 runs in Karachi.
Team news
Pakistan have a new captain in Babar Azam, who took over from Azhar Ali in November 2020. Azam has led Pakistan to four wins and two losses in his six Tests so far, and will be keen to improve his record in Sri Lanka, where he averages only 23.66 in four matches.
Sri Lanka, on the other hand, have a new coach in Tom Moody, who replaced Mickey Arthur earlier this month. Moody’s first task will be to revive Sri Lanka’s fortunes in Test cricket, as they have lost six of their last seven matches, including a 2-0 defeat at home to England in January.
Pakistan are practicing at the Galle International Cricket Stadium.
The first Test begins tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/P93xyPyqYp
— PTV Sports (@PTVSp0rts) July 15, 2023
Pak vs SL 1st Test TV telecast and live streaming info
The Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Test series 2023 will be telecast live on Sony Sports Ten 2 and Sony Sports Ten 2 HD TV channels in India.
Live streaming of Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Test series 2023 will be available on the SonyLIV app and website. The Pakistan tour of Sri Lanka 2023 will also be live-streamed on FanCode app and website.
The following are the TV channels and live streaming platforms where you can watch Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Test series 2023:
India
- TV: Sony Sports Ten 2 and Sony Sports Ten 2 HD
- Live streaming: SonyLIV, FanCode
Sri Lanka
- TV: SLRC
- Live streaming: Dialog TV, MyTV
Pakistan
- TV: PTV Sports
- Live streaming: Tapmad TV, Ten Sports
Head-to-head
Pakistan and Sri Lanka have played 54 Tests against each other, with Pakistan winning 20, Sri Lanka winning 16, and 18 ending in draws. In Sri Lanka, however, the hosts have a slight edge over the visitors, with nine wins, eight losses, and 11 draws in 28 matches. The last time Pakistan won a Test series in Sri Lanka was in 2015 when they came back from behind to clinch a 2-1 victory.
Key players
For Pakistan, Babar Azam will be the main attraction with the bat, as he is currently ranked second in the ICC Test batting rankings, behind only Kane Williamson. Azam has scored 1,023 runs in 12 Tests as captain, at an average of 64.06, with four centuries and four fifties.
Headshots session ✅
A behind-the-scenes peek into the team’s photoshoot in whites 💫#SLvPAK pic.twitter.com/QoWpDBYuga
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) July 15, 2023
Weather and pitch report
Embracing the Galle challenge: Intensive training for the Test battle 🏏💪#SLvPAK pic.twitter.com/qj9Y6eeLUM
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) July 15, 2023
The weather forecast for Galle is not very promising for the first Test, as there is a high chance of rain on all five days of the match.
The pitch at the Galle International Stadium is known to favor the spinners, especially on the fourth and fifth days.
The average first innings score at this venue is 381, while the average fourth-innings score is 153. The highest successful run chase at this ground is 268 by Sri Lanka against South Africa in 2006.
