Pakistan asserted complete control on the opening day of the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi, finishing on 281 for five in 67.2 overs before bad light forced an early end to proceedings. Sri Lankan captain Kusal Mendis won the toss and elected to bowl first on a green-tinged surface, but the home team's batters rose to the occasion.
Strong Start and Debutant Brilliance
Opening the innings, Tayyab Arif and Azan Awais set an aggressive tone. Playing in his maiden Test, twenty-year-old Tayyab adopted an attacking approach from the outset, hammering nine boundaries and a six to score 57 runs off just 51 deliveries. Partnering him at the top, Azan Awais chipped in with a solid 30 runs. The Sri Lankan bowling attack struggled for the first 16 overs, failing to make any breakthrough as the opening pair drove the score to 86 without loss.
Bowling Fightback and First Session Dominance
Pakistan dominated the morning session, accumulating 137 runs for the loss of two wickets in 30 overs. However, the visitors mounted a strong recovery afterward. All four pace bowlers sharpened their line and length, denying the batters easy scoring opportunities. Milan Rathnayake provided the breakthrough in his third over, inducing an inside edge from Azan Awais that was safely pouched by wicketkeeper Kusal Mendis. In the very next over, Asitha Fernando removed Tayyab to claim his second scalp.
Babbar Azam and Saud Shakeel Contributions
Mohammad Taha, coming in at number three, displayed immense grit and patience to compile 51 runs from 105 balls. Meanwhile, captain Babbar Azam looked in fine touch, greeting Dilshan Madushanka after lunch with three exquisite cover drives in a single over to notch up his 35th Test half-century. Babbar contributed 50 runs from 58 balls with seven fours before edging the left-arm fast bowler to Mendis, extending his wait for a Test hundred to 41 innings.
Middle-Order Resistance and Bad Light
Following Babbar's departure, Taha and Saud Shakeel knuckled down in traditional Test match fashion, adding 68 runs for the fourth wicket through cautious accumulation. Taha was eventually dismissed by part-time spinner Sonal Dinusha. Salman Ali Ayala added 16 before falling victim to Asitha Fernando, who finished with figures of two for 64, edging another catch behind. When bad light stopped play, Shakeel was unbeaten on 57 alongside wicketkeeper Ghazi Ghori.
