Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Day 1: 281 for 5 as Debutants Shine in Rawalpindi Test

Pakistan vs Sri Lanka opened their two match Test series in Rawalpindi on Monday, November 9, 2026, and the hosts closed day one on 281 for 5 after a bright start from four debutants. Bad light ended play early, with only 67.2 overs bowled on the opening day. Saud Shakeel stayed unbeaten on 57, and Ghazi Ghori was with him on 7 not out when the umpires called stumps.

The opening day of Pakistan vs Sri Lanka belonged to the young players. Debutant Tayyab Arif smashed 57 off 51 balls, and fellow debutant Mohammad Taha added a patient 51. Captain Babar Azam scored 50, and Saud Shakeel finished the day unbeaten on 57. Four Pakistan batters reached fifty, yet none of them went on to a big score.

In the Pakistan vs Sri Lanka series opener, Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bowl first on a green pitch at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. The decision looked risky by lunch, as Pakistan raced to 137 for 2 in the first session. The visitors fought back after the break, but the hosts still held the stronger position at stumps.

Pakistan reached 137 for 2 at lunch, with Babar on 31 and Taha on 15. The pair batted through the early part of the second session before Babar fell. At tea, Pakistan were 214 for 3, with Taha on 41 and Shakeel on 24. Sri Lanka took two wickets in the final session and gave away 65 runs, but Pakistan still ended the day ahead.

Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Day 1 Scorecard

Azan Awais and Tayyab Arif gave Pakistan a flying start. The pair added 86 runs for the first wicket in quick time, and the Sri Lankan bowlers struggled to find a breakthrough. Awais scored 30 off 50 balls, with seven fours, before Milan Rathnayake removed him. Tayyab fell in the next over, caught behind off Asitha Fernando, and Pakistan slipped to 90 for 2.

Tayyab made his debut count. The 20 year old reached his fifty in just 46 balls, the fastest fifty by a Pakistan batter in the first innings of a Test debut. He struck nine fours and one six in a 51 ball knock that set the tone for the day. He is playing his maiden first class season, and he looked at home on the big stage from the first ball.

Babar Azam then joined Taha at the crease, and the pair rebuilt the innings with calm batting. They added 69 runs for the third wicket and took Pakistan past 150 in steady fashion. Babar reached his 35th Test fifty, but he could not turn it into a hundred. Dilshan Madushanka dismissed him for 50 off 58 balls, with seven fours, and Pakistan were 159 for 3.

Taha carried on after lunch and reached a fighting 51 off 105 balls. Sonal Dinusha ended his stay, and Salman Ali Agha then made 16 before Asitha Fernando had him caught by Kusal Mendis. Pakistan were 253 for 5, and Sri Lanka had clawed their way back into the match.

Saud Shakeel held the innings together in the final session. He batted for 112 balls for his unbeaten 57, with seven fours, and he found a steady partner in Ghazi Ghori. The pair added an unbroken 28 runs before bad light forced the players off. Play stopped about 15 minutes before the scheduled close, and the umpires soon called stumps.

Asitha Fernando was the pick of the Sri Lanka bowlers in this Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Test, with 2 for 64. Rathnayake, Madushanka and Dinusha took one wicket each. Sri Lanka picked a pace heavy attack with no frontline spinner, a rare choice for them, and the pitch gave the fast bowlers little help as the day wore on.

The toss call shaped the day. Kusal Mendis, leading Sri Lanka in Tests for the first time, backed his pace bowlers on a green surface. The plan made sense on paper, yet the new ball did little, and the openers scored freely. By stumps, the call looked like a gamble that had not paid off, though two late wickets kept Sri Lanka in the contest.

Four Debutants in the Pakistan XI

Pakistan handed Test caps to four players for this Pakistan vs Sri Lanka match. Tayyab Arif, Mohammad Taha, Arafat Minhas and Saqib Khan all made their Test debuts in Rawalpindi. It is a bold call from the home side, and the first day showed why the selectors backed the young players. Two of the debutants scored fifties, and the other two will get their chance with bat and ball as the match goes on.

The full Pakistan XI was Azan Awais, Tayyab Arif, Mohammad Taha, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Salman Ali Agha, Ghazi Ghori, Arafat Minhas, Razaullah, Mohammad Abbas and Saqib Khan. Sri Lanka named Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Lahiru Udara, Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva, Sonal Dinusha, Kusal Mendis, Milan Rathnayake, Lahiru Kumara, Asitha Fernando and Dilshan Madushanka.

Babar Azam Still Waits for a Test Hundred

Babar looked in good touch in the Pakistan vs Sri Lanka opener, and his fifty came off 58 balls. Yet the wait for a Test hundred goes on. He has now gone 41 innings without a Test century, with his last hundred coming against New Zealand in Karachi in December 2022. His dismissal after lunch will hurt him, because the pitch was good for batting and the bowling attack was tiring.

What Day Two Holds

Pakistan will resume on day two of the Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Test with Shakeel and Ghori at the crease, and five wickets in hand. A total near 400 would put real pressure on Sri Lanka, who bat last on a pitch that may wear as the match goes on. The visitors will want early wickets in the morning session, while Pakistan will look to their lower order for quick runs.

This Pakistan vs Sri Lanka series is part of the World Test Championship cycle, with Pakistan ninth and Sri Lanka seventh in the standings. The second and final Test starts in Lahore on November 17. Both teams need points, and the opening day has set up a match that could go either way.

Pakistan vs Sri Lanka: Frequently Asked Questions

What was the score at stumps on day one of Pakistan vs Sri Lanka?

Pakistan closed day one on 281 for 5 in 67.2 overs. Saud Shakeel was unbeaten on 57, and Ghazi Ghori was not out on 7. Bad light ended play about 15 minutes early.

Who won the toss in the first Test?

Sri Lanka captain Kusal Mendis won the toss in the Pakistan vs Sri Lanka first Test and chose to bowl first on a green pitch in Rawalpindi.

Which players made their Test debut for Pakistan?

Tayyab Arif, Mohammad Taha, Arafat Minhas and Saqib Khan all made their Test debuts in the Rawalpindi match.

How many runs did Tayyab Arif score on debut?

Tayyab Arif scored 57 off 51 balls on his debut in the Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Test in Rawalpindi. He hit nine fours and one six, and he reached fifty in 46 balls.

When does the second Test start?

The second Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Test starts on November 17 in Lahore.

Sources: Aaj English TV, Geo Super, Cricbuzz, Ada Derana.