- The first Test draw at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium was confirmed on Friday after Pakistan declared on 284-8, a lead of 272.
- Saud Shakeel scored 97 off 210 balls and debutant Saqib Khan took 7-130 in Sri Lanka's first innings.
- 117 of a scheduled 360 overs were lost to bad light, making a result hard to achieve.
- Pakistan remain ninth in the WTC 2025-27 standings; the second Test begins on Tuesday at the same venue.
Pakistan and Sri Lanka settled for a Test draw at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Friday, after bad light and a resolute innings from Saud Shakeel denied the visitors a push for victory. Shakeel missed out on a century by three runs, bowled by Lahiru Kumara for 97.
In this article
Pakistan declared their second innings at 284-8 in 84.5 overs, setting Sri Lanka a target of 273. The two sides then agreed to end the match, confirming the Test draw.
Shakeel's fightback shapes the Test draw
Pakistan began the day at 57-1 and quickly ran into trouble. Kumara removed Azan Awais for 22 with the first ball of the morning, and Asitha Fernando then had Mohammad Taha caught behind for 24, leaving the hosts on 57-3.
Babar Azam and Shakeel added 50 for the fourth wicket before Babar fell to a leg-side trap against Milan Rathnayaka for 34. Salman Agha went the same way for 13, and Pakistan were 125-5. Sri Lanka had taken four wickets in the first session, and Pakistan went to lunch on 151-5, a lead of 139.
A brief 20-minute bad-light break before lunch helped the hosts. Afterwards, Shakeel and Ghazi Ghori put on 92 for the sixth wicket, and Ghori made 35 before Rathnayaka dismissed him.
Arafat Minhas then added 44 with Shakeel, taking Pakistan beyond 250, until Dhananjaya de Silva removed Minhas for 16. Shakeel's 97 included seven boundaries, and Razaullah was unbeaten when the declaration came.
Pakistan lost early wickets on the final morning, but Shakeel's resistance was central to the Test draw. Babar Azam, the Pakistan captain, also spoke about the opposition's batting.
We should also give credit to Dhananjaya de Silva and Kusal Mendis for the way they built the partnership before Saqib bowled superbly.
Babar Azam, Pakistan captain
How the match built towards the Test draw
Pakistan batted first and declared on 434-9, with five half-centuries, three of them from debutants. Shakeel made 93, Tayyab Arif 57 off 51 balls, Minhas 52, Taha 51 and Babar 50.
Sri Lanka slipped to 65-3 in reply but recovered through a 90-run stand between Kamindu Mendis (58) and de Silva. De Silva then added 249 with captain Kusal Mendis, and both scored centuries.
Saqib Khan, one of four Pakistan debutants, turned the match on the fourth morning. He finished with 7-130, including de Silva for 167 and Kusal for 119, as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 446 and held a 12-run lead. Mohammad Abbas took two wickets and Razaullah one.
Sri Lanka's 12-run lead set up Pakistan's second innings, which ended in the Test draw.
Weather the decisive factor in the Test draw
Bad light interrupted the final sessions on each of the first four days. In all, 117 overs from a stipulated 360 were lost, which made a result difficult for either side and left the Test draw as the outcome.
Rathnayaka was Sri Lanka's best bowler on the last day with 3-47, while Fernando took 2-35 and Kumara 2-65.
Babar praised his openers for the way they handled a pitch that was expected to be difficult. Kusal said Sri Lanka's first-day bowling had cost them, adding: "We won a good toss but did not do well in the first session, and that's where we need to learn. But overall I am happy."
| Position | Team | PCT |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Zealand | 72.22 |
| 2 | South Africa | 71.43 |
| 3 | Australia | 69.23 |
| 4 | India | 51.52 |
| 5 | Bangladesh | 45.83 |
| 6 | England | 38.54 |
| 7 | Sri Lanka | 33.33 |
| 8 | West Indies | 27.38 |
| 9 | Pakistan | 7.50 |
WTC standings after the Test draw
The Test draw leaves Pakistan ninth in the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 table with nine points and a points percentage of 7.50, from two wins, seven losses and one draw in 10 matches.
Sri Lanka are seventh with 28 points and a PCT of 33.33. New Zealand lead on 72.22, narrowly ahead of defending champions South Africa on 71.43.
Explained: what the Test draw means for both sides
Pakistan set a target of 273 after declaring on 284-8 with a lead of 272. Sri Lanka did not begin their chase, because the two sides agreed to end the match. That agreement made the result a Test draw.
Weather played a large part. Bad light interrupted the final sessions on each of the first four days, and 117 of the stipulated 360 overs were lost. Pakistan's batting on the final day, led by Shakeel's 97 off 210 balls, produced the lead of 272 on which the Test draw was settled.
For the standings, the Test draw means Pakistan remain ninth on 7.50 PCT, while Sri Lanka are seventh on 33.33. Both teams now turn to the second and final Test at the same venue.
Timeline
- Pakistan first inningsDeclared on 434-9 with five half-centuries
- Sri Lanka first inningsBowled out for 446, a 12-run lead, as Saqib Khan took 7-130
- Day five morningPakistan slipped from 57-1 to 125-5
- Day five afternoonShakeel and Ghori added 92 for the sixth wicket
- Day five closePakistan declared on 284-8 and both teams agreed to a draw
Both teams will now look for a result in the second and final Test, following the first-Test draw. It starts at the same venue on Tuesday.
Questions and answers
What was the result of the first Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Test?
The match ended as a Test draw on the fifth day in Rawalpindi after Pakistan declared their second innings on 284-8, a lead of 272, and both teams agreed to end it.
Why did the match end without a result?
Bad light interrupted the final sessions on each of the first four days, and 117 of a stipulated 360 overs were lost. That made a result difficult, and the Test draw followed when both sides agreed to end the match.
How many runs did Saud Shakeel score?
Shakeel made 97 off 210 balls in the second innings, including seven boundaries, before Lahiru Kumara bowled him, three runs short of a century. He had also made 93 in the first innings.
Who took seven wickets in the match?
Debutant Saqib Khan took 7-130 in Sri Lanka's first innings, including Dhananjaya de Silva for 167 and Kusal Mendis for 119.
Where is Pakistan in the WTC 2025-27 table?
Pakistan are ninth with nine points and a points percentage of 7.50, from two wins, seven losses and one draw in 10 matches.
When is the second Test?
The second and final Test starts on Tuesday at the same venue, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
Image: Neweditorpk / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
