Pakistan field four debutants for first Test; Sri Lanka opt to bowl

Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bowl first against Pakistan in the opening Test in Rawalpindi. Pakistan handed Test debuts to four players: batters Tayyab Arif and Mohammad Taha, spin-bowling allrounder Arafat Minhas, and pacer Saqib Khan. Kusal Mendis captained Sri Lanka for the first time in Test cricket, citing early assistance for seam bowlers on a green pitch.

Sri Lanka selected a four-man pace attack consisting of Lahiru Kumara, Asitha Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka, and Milan Rathnayaka, opting to leave out spinner Prabath Jayasuriya. Pakistan captain Babar Azam acknowledged challenging morning conditions for his team, which currently sits at the bottom of the World Test Championship standings.