he first Test of the two-Test series between Pakistan and Sri Lanka is being played in Galle. Three One-day Internationals were also scheduled, but those were cancelled in May 2022 as they were not part of the 2020–2023 ICC Cricket World Cup Super League.

Pakistan have almost the same team that played the home Test series against Australia in March.

Since the retirement of Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Tilikaratne Dilshan, Muttiah Muralitharan, and Lasith Malinga, the Sri Lankans have not looked as good as they were in the past.

But last week the young Sri Lankan team beat Australia in the second Test at Galle by an innings and 39 runs and levelled the series at 1-1. The win against Australia must be a morale booster for the home side.

In the warm-up game against Sri Lanka Cricket XI, neither our batsmen nor bowlers performed as expected.

The Test series loss to Australia at home could put Pakistan under pressure, but Babar & company has the ability to win in any condition.

Lack of Test matches is the real concern for Pakistani players. They don’t have practice to stay on the crease.

Under Babar Azam, Pakistan have a good chance to improve their rating in the ICC Test Championship. Currently Pakistan stand in third position with 52.38 percentage of points (PCT) behind Australia (77.78) and South Africa (71.43) respectively. India are just behind Pakistan with 52.08 PCT.

Babar assured that his boys will play positive cricket irrespective of the situation. Pakistan’s batting came under the flak after failures against Australia in March in home conditions.

Pakistan should not expect Sri Lanka to prepare spin-friendly pitches for Tests as they did against Australia, because Pakistan also have quality spinners in their squad. Moreover, the Green-shirts have the ability to play spin well.

Pakistan captain Babar has set another record by taking the third spot on the most runs list with 682 runs for the ICC World Test Championship 2023. Former England skipper Joe Root is top of the list with 1175 runs while Australia’s Usman Khawaja is in second place with 751 runs.

Pakistan and Sri Lanka have faced each other in 55 Test matches. Out of these 55 games, Pakistan have won 20; Sri Lanka have come out victorious on 16 occasions; and 19 matches ended without a result.

In the 2020 series in Sri Lanka, the inexperienced Sri Lankans surprised Pakistan when they whitewashed host Pakistan in the two-Test series.

First, Sri Lanka successfully defended a modest target of 136 in Abu Dhabi as the Green-shirts were bowled out for just 114.

This was Sri Lanka's lowest defended target, improving on the 168 they set the Pakistanis in the Galle Test in 2009. It was also Pakistan’s first defeat in Abu Dhabi in 10 Tests.

People thought the Sri Lankan win was a fluke and in the second Test in Dubai, Pakistan would bounce back. But Sri Lanka again beat Pakistan by 68 runs.

Sri Lanka's series win ended Pakistan's unbeaten run in the UAE. They had played nine series in the UAE since 2010. During this period Pakistan won five and drew four series. Their unbeaten run began with a two-match drawn series against South Africa in November 2010 under Misbah-ul-Haq.

In that series, surprisingly Babar failed, scoring only 39 runs in four innings, averaging just 9.75.

Former Sri Lankan skipper Kumar Sangakkara scored most 2911 runs in 23 matches against Pakistan, averaging 74.64 with 10 centuries and 12 fifties.

For Pakistan, Younis Khan is the highest run-getter with 2286 runs at an average of 51.95, including 8 hundred and six half centuries.

Left arm orthodox spinner Rangana Herath claimed 106 wickets in 21 Tests with the average of 28.07. Saeed Ajmal took 66 wickets against Sri Lanka, averaging 32.87.

Pakistan’s 765-6 in Karachi in February 2009 is the highest innings total between the two countries. Sri Lanka scored 644-7 in the same Test.

Sri Lanka were bowled out for 71 runs in Kandy in August 1994. Pakistan were bundled out for 90 runs in Colombo in July 2009.

Misbah-ul-Haq led Pakistan in 13 Tests against Sri Lanka while Angleo Mathews played eight matches as skipper.

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