Pakistan vs Sri Lanka 1st Test November 9: Schedule, Squads, Venue and WTC Stakes

Latest: Day 3 — Afternoon

Updated: 11 November 2026. Day 3 is in progress at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, in the second session after lunch. Sri Lanka are 300 for 4 in 74.4 overs, trailing Pakistan by 134 runs, after resuming the day on 114 for 3. Sri Lanka were 221 for 4 in 60 overs at lunch, trailing by 213 runs, and have added 79 runs since lunch without losing a wicket.

Captain Dhananjaya de Silva is unbeaten on 113 off 166 balls, with 13 fours, and Kusal Mendis is unbeaten on 70 off 97 balls, with four fours and three sixes. The pair have added an unbroken 145 runs for the fifth wicket. The latest wicket was Kamindu Mendis, caught by Ghazi Ghori off Mohammad Abbas for 58 off 131 balls, at 155 for 4 in the 42nd over — the only wicket to fall on Day 3 so far. Mohammad Abbas has 2 for 49 in the innings.

Latest: Day 3 — Tea

Updated: 11 November 2026. Sri Lanka have reached tea on Day 3 at 348 for 4 in 90 overs at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, trailing Pakistan’s 434 for 9 declared by 86 runs. Dhananjaya de Silva is unbeaten on 141 and captain Kusal Mendis is unbeaten on 90, and play continues after tea.

De Silva reached his 14th Test century in the second session, after bringing up his 21st Test fifty in the morning, while Kusal Mendis is nearing his own century. The pair have added an unbroken 193 runs for the fifth wicket. Sri Lanka’s only wicket on Day 3 remains Kamindu Mendis, caught by Ghazi Ghori off Mohammad Abbas for 58 at 155 for 4.

Sri Lanka lost only one wicket in the morning session, reaching lunch on 221 for 4 in 60 overs, with De Silva on 87 and Kusal Mendis on 21, trailing by 213 runs. With the ball, Mohammad Abbas has 2-52 (24 overs) and debutant Saqib Khan.

Day 2 belonged to Pakistan’s debutants. Tayyab Arif (57), Mohammad Taha (51) and Arafat Minhas (52) all scored half-centuries in the same innings, making Pakistan the first established Test-playing nation to have three debutants reach fifty in one innings. The only previous instance was Zimbabwe’s first Test, at Harare in 1992.

Bad light has already cost about 45 overs in the match. The match is in progress, with Sri Lanka still trailing by 134 runs with six wickets in hand, and no result has been decided.

Stumps, Day 3

Updated: 11 November 2026. Sri Lanka have reached stumps on Day 3 at 404 for 4 in 102 overs at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, trailing Pakistan’s 434 for 9 declared by 30 runs, after bad light ended the day early. Dhananjaya de Silva is unbeaten on 167 off 241 balls, with 20 fours, and captain Kusal Mendis is unbeaten on 117 off 188 balls, with 10 fours and four sixes.

De Silva’s 167 not out is his 14th Test century, and Kusal Mendis’s 117 not out is his first century as Test captain. The pair have added an unbroken 249 runs for the fifth wicket. Sri Lanka resumed the day on 114 for 3, reached lunch on 221 for 4 with de Silva on 87 and Kusal Mendis on 21, and tea on 348 for 4 with de Silva on 141 and Kusal Mendis on 90, before adding 56 runs in the final session without losing a wicket. Kamindu Mendis made 58 and Lahiru Udara 42 earlier in the innings.

Mohammad Abbas has 2 for 64 in 29 overs and debutant Saqib Khan has 2 for 105 in 26 overs. Day 4 begins on Thursday, 12 November, at 9:30am PKT in Rawalpindi.

Latest: Day 2 — Tea

Pakistan resumed Day 2 of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi on 281 for 5, with Saud Shakeel on 57 not out and Ghazi Ghori on 7 not out, and the pair built steadily through the morning session. Shakeel went on to a top score of 93 from 199 balls, and Pakistan declared their first innings at 434 for 9 in 106.3 overs. By tea, Sri Lanka had reached 42 for 2 in 12 overs in reply, trailing by 392 runs, with Lahiru Udara unbeaten on 29 from 35 balls and Kamindu Mendis on 8 not out from 31.

The morning’s main stand was between Shakeel and Ghori, who added 96 runs together before Ghori fell for 48 from 72 balls at 349 for 6, caught by Pasindu Sooriyabandara off Dilshan Madushanka. Shakeel then put on 44 with Arafat Minhas, who made 52 from 72 balls, before Shakeel fell for 93 at 393 for 7, caught by Kusal Mendis off Asitha Fernando. Minhas fell for 52 and Razaullah for 10, and Pakistan declared with Saqib Khan unbeaten on 0.

Day 1 had ended with Pakistan on 281 for 5 after Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to field, with Babar Azam making 50 and debutants Tayyab Arif (57) and Mohammad Taha (51) both reaching half-centuries on debut. Shakeel’s 93 is now the innings’ top score, and Sri Lanka’s reply began badly — Pasindu Sooriyabandara fell for 0 to Mohammad Abbas and Dinesh Chandimal for 1 to Saqib Khan, who took his maiden Test wicket — leaving the visitors 392 behind at tea with eight wickets in hand.

Latest: Day 2 — Stumps

Sri Lanka reached 114 for 3 at stumps on Day 2 at Rawalpindi on Tuesday, 10 November, still trailing Pakistan’s 434 for 9 declared by 320 runs, according to Cricbuzz. Kamindu Mendis was unbeaten on 40 off 78 balls and captain Dhananjaya de Silva was 22 not out off 28, the pair having added 49 for the fourth wicket after the tea break.

Only one wicket fell after tea. Opener Lahiru Udara, who had top-scored with 42 off 52 balls, was caught by wicketkeeper Ghazi Ghori off debutant Saqib Khan at 65 for 3 in the 17th over. Saqib, who also removed Dinesh Chandimal for 1 before tea, finished the day with 2 for 54, while Mohammad Abbas took 1 for 23. Play was called off early for bad light, with nearly 45 overs lost in total across the day, and Sri Lanka will resume on Day 3 still 320 behind.

Rawalpindi, November 2, 2026 — Pakistan’s next assignment is red-ball cricket: the first Test against Sri Lanka starts on Monday, November 9, 2026, at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, with play scheduled to begin at 9:30am PKT each day. It is the opening match of a two-Test series that counts towards the ICC World Test Championship 2025–27, and it comes exactly one week from today — which is why this guide is live now, while fans are still searching for dates, squads and timings.

The short version for anyone planning around the match: first Test, Rawalpindi, November 9–13; second Test, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, November 17–21; both starting at 9:30am PKT. Babar Azam captains a Pakistan side featuring three uncapped batters, while Sri Lanka arrive under Kusal Mendis — without their first-choice opener Pathum Nissanka, who has been ruled out of the series. A three-day warm-up match at Islamabad Club from November 4–6 will decide the final two pace-bowling places in Pakistan’s squad.

Key facts: Pakistan vs Sri Lanka, 1st Test

Day 1 — Live: Sri Lanka win toss, Pakistan bat first

Sri Lanka won the toss on Monday, November 9, 2026 and elected to bowl first at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Pakistan bat first on Day 1 of the first Test.

Pakistan handed Test debuts to FOUR players: Mohammad Tayyab Arif, Mohammad Taha, Arafat Minhas and Saqib Khan.

Pakistan playing XI: Azan Awais, Tayyab Arif, Mohammad Taha, Babar Azam (captain), Saud Shakeel, Salman Ali Agha, Ghazi Ghori (wicketkeeper), Arafat Minhas, Razaullah, Mohammad Abbas, Saqib Khan.

Sri Lanka playing XI: Kusal Mendis (captain/wicketkeeper), Lahiru Udara, Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva, Sonal Dinusha, Milan Rathnayake, Lahiru Kumara, Asitha Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka.

Before the match, captain Babar Azam said selection and deselection of players is not in his hands — the selectors and coaches decide the squad, and his job is to get the best out of the players picked. Pakistan made late squad changes less than 48 hours before the Test, removing Abdullah Fazal and Ali Usman and adding four players.

Live score at the time of this update (14:49 PKT): Pakistan 214/3 in 53 overs. Tea: Mohammad Taha 41*, Saud Shakeel 24*; Babar Azam 50.

Day 1 — Stumps

At stumps on Day 1 in Rawalpindi, Pakistan were 281/5 in 67.2 overs after Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bowl. Saud Shakeel was 57 not out (112 balls, 7 fours), with Ghazi Ghori 7 not out (10 balls) at the other end. Debutants Tayyab Arif (57) and Mohammad Taha (51) and captain Babar Azam (50) all reached half-centuries. Bad light ended play early, and Day 2 resumes on Tuesday, 10 November.

Day 2: Pakistan Declare on 434, Sri Lanka 114/3 at Stumps

Pakistan strengthened their grip on the second day of the first Test at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday, 10 November 2026, declaring their first innings at 434 for 9 in 106.3 overs and then reducing Sri Lanka to 114 for 3 at stumps. Resuming on 281 for 5, Pakistan added 153 runs through Saud Shakeel, who top-scored with 93 and fell seven runs short of a century, and debutants Tayyab Arif (57) and Arafat Minhas (52), with wicketkeeper Ghazi Ghori adding 48. Asitha Fernando and Dilshan Madushanka took three wickets each for Sri Lanka. In reply, Sri Lanka lost three early wickets before Kamindu Mendis (40 not out) and Dhananjaya de Silva (22 not out) steadied the innings. Bad light ended play early with Sri Lanka on 114 for 3 after 27.1 overs, still trailing Pakistan by 320 runs with seven first-innings wickets in hand. Play resumes on day three on Wednesday, 11 November.

Full series schedule

The tour’s Test leg is short and sharp: five days in Rawalpindi, a short break, then five days in Lahore. Both matches start at 9:30am PKT, which means the first session runs through the late morning and the final session stretches into the early evening — the standard November timing for Tests in Pakistan, when daylight fades earlier than in the summer months.

The warm-up matters more than usual this time. Pakistan’s selectors have deliberately left two squad places open, and they will add two fast bowlers from the Patron’s XI side after watching them against Sri Lanka in Islamabad. That means the final 16 will only be known after November 6 — this page will be updated the moment those two names are confirmed, rather than a new article being written.

Squad Update (November 7): Aamir Jamal Returns, Three Uncapped Players Called Up

Updated: November 10, 2026. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has revised the Test squad for the home series against Sri Lanka, adding four players two days before the first Test in Rawalpindi. Pace-bowling all-rounder Aamir Jamal returns, and three uncapped players — batter Muhammad Tayyab Arif, fast bowler Ali Shabbir and seamer Saqib Khan — have earned maiden national call-ups. Ali Usman and Abdullah Fazal have been released from the squad, which now stands at 16 players.

All three newcomers played for the PCB Patron’s XI in the three-day warm-up match against Sri Lanka at the Islamabad Club from November 4 to 6, and were picked on the back of those performances. Babar Azam continues as captain.

Pakistan’s revised 16-man squad: Babar Azam (captain), Aamir Jamal, Ali Shabbir, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ghazi Ghori (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Suleman, Mohammad Taha, Muhammad Tayyab Arif, Razaullah, Saad Baig (wicketkeeper), Salman Ali Agha, Sameer Minhas, Saqib Khan, Saud Shakeel.

The first Test begins on Monday, November 9, at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium and runs to November 13; the second Test is at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium from November 17 to 21. Both matches are part of the ICC World Test Championship 2025–27 cycle, in which Pakistan sit bottom of the table and Sri Lanka seventh. Sri Lanka, led by Kusal Mendis, have named a 15-member squad.

Sri Lanka squad: Nissanka out, Udara in

Sri Lanka will be led by Kusal Mendis, and their squad has had a late change. Pathum Nissanka — their first-choice opener — has been ruled out of the Test series with the hamstring injury that already kept him out of the ODI tri-series. Lahiru Udara, who replaced Nissanka in the white-ball leg, has been named in the Test squad instead.

The rest of the 15 is built around experience: Dinesh Chandimal and Dhananjaya de Silva with the bat, Kamindu Mendis in the middle order, and a spin-heavy attack featuring Prabath Jayasuriya, with seam options including Asitha Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Dilshan Madushanka and Eshan Malinga.

Sri Lanka updated Test squad: Kusal Mendis (captain), Anjala Bandara, Dinesh Chandimal, Dhananjaya de Silva, Sonal Dinusha, Asitha Fernando, Prabath Jayasuriya, Lahiru Kumara, Dilshan Madushanka, Eshan Malinga, Kamindu Mendis, Lahiru Udara, Keshara Nuwantha, Milan Rathnayaka, Pasindu Sooriyabandara.

Why this series matters: the WTC table

Both teams need these points, but Pakistan need them far more urgently. According to the ICC’s State of Play review dated October 31, 2026, Pakistan are ninth and last in the World Test Championship 2025–27 standings on 4.63%, with just two wins from nine Tests — and they have not played a Test since September. Sri Lanka sit seventh on 33.33%, with six Tests remaining including these two in Pakistan.

A home series win would not rescue Pakistan’s campaign on its own, but it would lift them off the bottom and give the new-look side — a new captain in Babar, three debutants in waiting, and two fast bowlers still to be chosen — something real to build on before the second Test in Lahore. For Sri Lanka, a series win away from home would keep their own outside hopes alive and continue a tour that has already stretched across six weeks and three formats.

What to watch in Rawalpindi

Three things will decide the first Test. First, how Pakistan’s uncapped batters handle Test cricket at home — Taha, Minhas and Suleman have domestic runs behind them, but a five-day match against an attack led by Jayasuriya is a different examination. Second, whether the two fast bowlers added after the warm-up can give Babar a new-ball pair to match Sri Lanka’s seam options. And third, the Rawalpindi pitch itself: the ground has produced both high-scoring draws and results in recent years, and the team that reads it best over five days usually wins.

One practical note for fans: the 9:30am start time comes from public scorecard listings (Cricbuzz lists 4:30am GMT, which converts to 9:30am PKT). If the PCB confirms a different start time before November 9, this guide will be updated — check back on the morning of the match.

Frequently asked questions

For more Pakistan cricket coverage, read our Pakistan Test squad announcement, our tri-series final preview, and our Hong Kong Sixes Plate final win.