Sri Lanka (SL) will take on arch-rivals Pakistan (PAK) in the first Test match starting on July 16 at the Galle International Stadium. This will be the first assignment for both the teams and both the Asian giants in the ICC World Test Championship 2023-2025 cycle. Looking for a positive start.
The hosts have named in-form Dimuth Karunartne to lead the side in the first match, despite the player’s decision to resign from captaincy duties at the end of the last WTC cycle. Sri Lanka have won four of their seven Tests against Pakistan in Galle and will go into this game as favourites, thanks to home advantage.
Pitch Report – Sri Lanka vs Pakistan
The surface at Galle International Stadium provides a balanced surface in red-ball cricket. The spinners have always dominated this venue and the ball turns well from the start but it will be easy for the batsmen to score runs in the first innings.
Will the toss matter?
Very unlikely. Both the teams have the quality to put up an exciting match on a balanced surface here. Here the average score in the first innings is 366 but it comes down to 158 in the fourth innings.
Galle International Stadium – The Numbers Game
basic test data
- Total Matches: 43
- Matches won batting first: 23
- Matches won bowling first: 14
Average Test Stats
- Average first innings score: 366
- Average score in 2nd innings: 310
- Average score in 3rd innings: 233
- 4th innings average score is 158
test match score statistics
- Highest Total Recorded – 704/3 (151 overs) by SL vs IRE
- Highest score chased down by South Africa vs Sri Lanka – 73/10 (28.5 overs).
SL vs PAK Probable XI
Sri Lanka Team: Dimuth Karunaratne(c), Nishan Madushka, kusal mendis, angelo mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Dhananjay D’SilvaPathum Nissanka, Sadeera Samarawickrama (wk), Kamindu Mendis, Ramesh Mendis, Prabhat Jayasuriya, Praveen Jayawickrama, Kasun Rajitha, Dilshan Madushanka, Vishwa Fernando, Lakshita Manasinghe
Pakistan Shaft: Dimuth Karunaratne (c), Nishan Madushka, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Dhananjay de Silva, Pathum Nissanka, Sadeera Samarawickrama (wk), Kamindu Mendis, Ramesh Mendis, Prabhat Jayasuriya, Praveen Jayawickrama, Kasun Rajitha, Dilshan Madushanka, Vishwa Fernando, Lakshita Manasinghe