Pakistan reached 281 for five against Sri Lanka when bad light brought an early end to the opening day of the first Test at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Only 67.2 overs of play were possible before the umpires called off proceedings as fading light forced players from the field.
Sri Lanka captain Kusal Mendis won the toss and elected to field first in the opening match of the two-match series. Pakistan handed Test debuts to four players as the team management looked to bolster the long-form bench strength with emerging talent.
Openers Azan Awais and debutant Tayyab Arif provided a solid start by putting on 86 runs for the first wicket. Azan was the first to depart after scoring 30 runs, falling to fast bowler Milan Priyanath Rathnayake.
Tayyab continued to play aggressively, bringing up a brisk half-century before being dismissed by Asitha Fernando. The debutant compiled 57 runs from 51 deliveries, striking nine boundaries and a single six.
Captain Babar Azam joined forces with another debutant, Mohammad Taha, to add a crucial 69 runs for the third wicket. Babar played with responsibility to reach his half-century off 54 balls, marking the 35th Test fifty of his career.
Babar was eventually caught behind off the bowling of Dilshan Madushanka after contributing a well-made 50 runs. Taha also impressed on debut by notching up a half-century, anchoring the middle order with composed strokeplay.
Taha fell for 51 runs when he was caught by Dhananjaya de Silva off the bowling of Sonal Dinusha with the team total at 227. Salman Ali Agha chipped in with 16 runs before becoming Asitha's second victim of the innings.
Saud Shakeel and wicketkeeper-batsman Ghazi Ghori successfully navigated the remaining overs without further loss before umpires intervened. Saud remained unbeaten on 57 runs alongside Ghazi, who was not out on 7 at the stumps.
Asitha was the pick of the Sri Lankan bowlers, claiming two wickets during his spell. Milan Rathnayake, Dilshan Madushanka, and Sonal Dinusha picked up one wicket apiece as the visiting bowling attack toiled through the day.
Sri Lanka opted for an attack featuring four fast bowlers on the Rawalpindi surface, a tactic that drew varied opinions from cricket analysts. The visitors will aim to break the stubborn sixth-wicket partnership early on the second morning.
Brief scores: Pakistan 281-5 (67.2 overs; Tayyab Arif 57, Saud Shakeel 57 not out, Babar Azam 50, Mohammad Taha 51; Asitha Fernando 2-xx) against Sri Lanka.
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