Pakistan field four debutants for first Test; Sri Lanka opt to bowl
Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bowl first in the first Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi. Under bright sunshine at the Pindi Stadium, Kusal Mendis, captaining Sri Lanka in Test cricket for the first time, said there was enough green on the pitch to indicate the quicker bowlers could exploit the first session. […]
Sri Lanka opted to field first in the first Test against Pakistan at Pindi Stadium in Rawalpindi. With bright sunlight illuminating the field, Kusal Mendis, making his Test debut as captain, believed the quicker bowlers would have an advantage on the pitch. "It looks like a fast-bowling wicket and the first session will be very important," he stated.
Pakistan decided against fielding spinner Prabath Jayasuriya and instead fielded four fast bowlers: Lahiru Kumara, Asitha Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka, and Milan Rathnayaka. Their spin options included Sonal Dinusha, Dhananjaya de Silva, and Kamindu Mendis. Pakistan's captain, Babar Azam, acknowledged that the first morning would be challenging for his side.
The Pakistani squad featured four debutants for the Test, including batters Tayyab Ariff and Mohammad Taha, spin-bowling allrounder Arafat Minhas, and quick bowler Saqib Khan. Despite these lineup changes, Pakistan remains at the bottom of the current WTC standings, while Sri Lanka holds the seventh position.
Written by urgent.news from The Island Sri Lanka's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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