Thursday Nov 12, 2026
Thursday Nov 12, 2026
Monday, 9 November 2026 03:21 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Sri Lanka Captain Kusal Mendis (left) and Pakistan Captain Babar Azam with the trophy that will be awarded to the winner of the two-Test series
By Sa’adi Thawfeeq
Sri Lanka placed 7th and Pakistan placed 9th and last, begin a two-Test series at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium today with neither side having any chance of making it to the final of the World Test Championship at The Oval on June 2027.
Sri Lanka’s campaign has been disappointing so far, with just one win in six Tests. Three draws have offered some protection, but the second half of the campaign demands a dramatic turnaround. For Sri Lanka to make it to the top two they require almost a perfect run – six potential victories in their remaining six Tests.
Sri Lanka’s cricket has been so vulnerable that such a challenge does not look feasible. Even playing matches at home they are unable to convert home advantage into victories as their last series in the WTC indicate. They lost the two-Test series to India 1-0 (1 drawn) and before that they managed only a 1-0 win (1 drawn) against Bangladesh. So, of the three series they have played so far, Sri Lanka has managed to win only one – against Bangladesh and lost two to West Indies (1-0, 1 draw) and to India.
With only 33.33% points from their first three series, Sri Lanka have far too much to do in the second half of their WTC campaign. Even if they win each of their remaining six Tests (2 v Pakistan - away, 2 v New Zealand - away, 2 v South Africa - home) they’ll end up on 66.67%. If they lose one, they’ll drop to 58.33, which is insufficient for them to finish in the top two of the WTC standings.
Their remaining three series of the WTC comprises two away (in Pakistan and in New Zealand) and one at home (against South Africa). Sri Lanka’s record overseas is not a healthy one and their last win in Pakistan came as far back as 2004 when under the captaincy of Marvan Atapattu they won by 201 runs at Faisalabad. The last time Sri Lanka toured Pakistan in 2019 they lost the two-Test series 1-0 (1 drawn). Sri Lanka’s last tour to New Zealand in 2023 saw them being swamped 2-0.
Thus, the odds are stacked heavily against Sri Lanka winning all their last six matches of the WTC.
Pakistan on the other hand have played almost twice as many Tests as the points they have gathered 4.63% and with only four Tests remaining (2 v Sri Lanka – home, 2 v New Zealand – home) says enough about their dire campaign. They are virtually out of the running.
Even in the ICC Men’s Test Rankings there is little that these two teams can achieve. Sri Lanka are placed 7th with 75 rating points and Pakistan 9th with 71 rating points. If Sri Lanka wins the series they will move one slot up to 6th displacing Bangladesh, a win for Pakistan will see them move up to either 6th or 7th position.
In the context, this series will be ideal to groom some of the youngsters in preparation for the next WTC cycle. Sri Lanka has a few of them knocking on the door like middle order batsman Pavan Rathnayake, and wicket-keeper batsman Anjala Bandara – both products of Mahanama College and playing for CCC in the domestic competitions.
Already Sri Lanka’s future generation of cricketers are beginning to take shape in the Test team with Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Sonal Dinusha and Keshara Nuwantha breaking into Test cricket this year. Bandara has been picked for the two-Test tour to Pakistan as a reserve wicket-keeper to Kusal Mendis. Whether the extra responsibilities of having to captain his country and being wicket-keeper for all three formats is proving to be a burden on Mendis is a matter of conjecture. Mendis, who will be leading his country in a Test match for the first time, certainly could not get going in the recently concluded One-Day Tri-Series in Pakistan where his contribution was only one fifty in five innings. He was thrice dismissed for single digit scores.
For the upcoming Test series against Pakistan, Mendis could simply hand over his wicket-keeping gloves to Bandara and concentrate on leading his team and scoring runs which he is quite capable of. He will be less free from pressure. But that is unlikely to happen as it would unsettle the batting line-up with one of the key batters having to make room for Bandara.
With Pasindu Sooriyabandara promoted from no. 3 to open the batting with Lahiru Udara, the rest of the batting will comprise Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva, Sonal Dinusha and Kusal Mendis.
The three-day warm-up game where the PCB Patrons XI fast bowlers creamed off the top order in both innings indicates the type of pitches Sri Lanka will encounter for the two Tests at Rawalpindi and Lahore.
But Kusal Mendis at the pre-match press conference said his batsmen were capable of handling any type of pitches Pakistan prepares for the Test series.
“We have a very good batting line up with senior players like Dinesh Chandimal, Dhananjaya de Silva and myself along with a couple of others. Everyone knows how to play on green tops. We played very well in England also. I have no doubt in my batting line up,” said Mendis.
Sri Lanka are most likely to opt for three fast bowlers and one spinner. Asitha Fernando and left-armer Dilshan Madushanka are likely to play leaving the option of third seamer to uncapped Eshan Malinga, Lahiru Kumara or fast bowling all-rounder Milan Rathnayaka. For spin, it will be a toss-up between the experienced Prabath Jayasuriya and fast improving off-spinner Keshara Nuwantha.
