PAK vs SL 1st Test Live Commentary - Rawalpindi (09 November 2026)

Finds the edge straight away. A bit of an away shape, on a back of a length, on off. Arif pushes away from his body tentatively. The outside edge is found but it goes well wide of gully and to the left of backward point. They cross.

Well bowled. Pushed across the off stump, on a good length. Awais could have left it alone, but he has a slight feel for the ball. Gets beaten on the outside edge.

No run, played towards covers.

Around the off stump, on a good length. Kumara hits the bat hard as Arif defends it out watchfully with a straight bat.

Not in control but safe. A well-directed short ball at 137.3 kph, getting it high around the right shoulder. Arif looks to take the short ball on with the pull. He is hurried and gets it high on the bat. Spoons it beyond mid-wicket in no man's land as the batters pick up three, with the ball rolling to the deep.

From around the wicket for the left-hander, bashes the hard length and gets the ball to take off. Azan thinks about playing it but then tucks his bat close to his body to let it through.

Beaten! Bowled in the channel, a bit fuller than the previous ball. Awais pokes away from his body and is lucky not to nick it behind.

Fuller in length, attacking the stumps. Awais brings his bat out in front of the front pad to stab it down.

Edgy! Goes wide on the crease, does Kumara, outside the off stump, on a good length. Awais defends slightly away from his body, but he does so with soft hands. The outside edge goes down and on the bounce to third slip.

Swinging away, in the channel, on a length. Azan makes the leave.

FOUR! Class written all over it. Width offered by Madushanka, on a back of a length. No movement off the deck. Azan presses up on his toes and stands tall to punch it past point for a boundary. He holds the pose as well for the cameras.

Closer to the off stump, Azan stabs it down on the off side.

Fuller in length, on off and a hint of an away shape. Awais gets forward and just punches it to the left of deep point for a couple of runs.

Dishes it out on a length, in the channel. Awais covers the off stump and offers no shot.

Moving away in the air, on the fuller side. Azan is happy to let it be.

A loud shout for LBW, but that looked high. Good start from Lahiru Kumara. This jags back in sharply with a bit of extra bounce, on a back of a length, on off and middle. Arif presses back to deal with it but is beaten past the inside edge and gets hit high on the back thigh.

This zips through, on a good length, outside off. Arif shoulders arms. It carries at shoulder height to the keeper.

FOUR! Sumptuous shot. This guy can bat. Kumara delivers it on a back of a length, around off. Arif lets the ball come on and sets himself up on the back foot. He stands tall on top of the bounce and with a high elbow, he punches it past the diving point fielder.

Oh, that could have gone anywhere. Nip-backer by Kumara, slightly fuller, around off. Arif gets a big stride in for the block but ekes out an inside edge onto the pads. It pops up but lands well in front of the bowler.

FOUR! Unlucky for Lahiru Kumara. Another one from Kumara that nips back in off a good length, outside the off stump. Tayyab presses forward to defend but is undone by the seam movement. Gets an inside edge that sneaks past the off stump and the keeper stands no chance. The 50 is up for Pakistan.

End of a testing over from Kumara. At 138 kph, nipping back in again, on a nagging length, on off. Arif is hurried and squeezes out an inside edge onto the pads.

Full and slanting in at the sticks. Azan pushes it to mid on.

Nibbling away a touch, on a good length, on the off stump. Awais covers the line and stabs it down.

FOUR! Flayed away. On the shorter side, it is not all that wide but enough for Awais to work with. He presses up on his toes to ride the bounce and cuts it fiercely to the left of the diving gully fielder.

Fuller in length, keeping the stumps in play. Awais looks to keep it out from the crease. Gets it off the outer half to gully.

Serves it on a back of a length, on off. Azan hangs back to defend.

FOUR! Not convincing, but they all count. Hooping back into the left-hander, on the fuller side. Awais' feet go nowhere as he pushes at the ball. It takes the inner half and skips across the turf, beating the square leg fielder to his left.

Angled into the right-hander, on a good length. Arif pushes it back to the bowler.

A little too straight, at the hips. Arif turns it off the back foot to mid-wicket.

Drifts onto the pads, on a length. Arif stays balanced at the crease and plays the flick to the right of mid on. The ball does not have enough legs to reach the fence and it is hauled in. Two runs taken.

Pitches it up, on off. Tayyab transfers his weight onto the front foot and plays a confident drive but can't get it past mid off.

At 135.6 kph, honing in on the off stump, on a good length. Arif gets half-forward and punches it to cover.

SIX! All the way! Fernando bangs it in short, on middle. It comes at shoulder height. Arif is quick to swivel and takes on the man at long leg with the hook. He gets more off a top edge but clears the fence to pick up his first six.

Full and a little bit of an away shape, on the off stump. Awais' head falls over slightly to the off side, but he manages to block it off.

FOUR! Creamed away! Madushanka errs in his length, as this is a real half-volley, no movement through the air, on off. Azan gets his hands through the line and drives it through covers for a four.

On a back of a length, but down leg. Azan pivots to shovel it behind square on the leg side but is tucked up for room and is beaten for pace.

In the channel, bowled on a good length. Awais is happy to let it be.

FOUR! A lucky boundary for Azan Awais. Madushanka bends his back and digs it in short, over off. Azan shapes up for the pull but is rushed and the ball gets big on him. It takes the top edge and flies over the keeper's head.

A play and a miss! In and around the off stump, on a back of a length. It moves away off the seam. Azan pokes away from his body and is beaten on the outside edge.

Nice shape for Fernando. Moving away in the air, on a good length, Arif makes a watchful leave.

Tries to dart this one back into the right-hander but this is sprayed down leg, on a back of a length. Tayyab misses out on the glance.

FOUR! Edged away. Fortuitous boundary for Tayyab Arif. Bowled on a short of a length, outside off. Arif goes chasing the ball well away from his body. The outside edge is found, but it flies over the head of the leaping Sonal Dinusha at third slip.

At 136.6 kph, shaping away, on a nagging length. Left alone this time by Arif. Good carry through to the keeper with Kusal Mendis collecting the ball around his head.

FOUR! A shot of high class. Fernando pushes the length up, on off. This is not a half-volley by any means. Arif presses onto the front foot and plays a punchy drive through covers for a boundary.

Drags the length back but this is down leg. Tayyab fails to help it away.

Beaten! Madushanka bowls it full and it curves away in the air. Awais has a feel for the delivery away from his body and gets beaten on the outside edge.

Wider on off, not close enough to make the batter play. An easy leave for Azan.

Slanting in at the hips, on a back of a length. Awais tucks it off the back foot to mid-wicket.

Angled in towards the off stump, on a good length. It nibbles away a touch off the seam. Awais defends it with soft hands and therefore the outside edge goes down to the slip cordon.

Not a lot of swing on this occasion, fuller and on off. Azan hangs low, covers the line and defends it out.

FOUR! Slightly uppish but it is played in the gap and with that, Azan Awais is off the mark. Not all that full, a hint of an away shape, outside off. Awais extends his hands and plays the drive on the rise to the right of backward point for a four.

Hits the back of a length, on off. Arif gets behind the line of the ball and pats it to mid on.

Shaping away from the right-hander, on the fuller side. Arif presses half-forward and opens the bat face slightly to angle it past the diving backward point fielder for a couple of runs.

Drags the length back, a little bit of extra bounce, on off. Tayyab gets up on his toes nicely and taps it down to cover.

Brings the line closer to the off stump but the length stays short. Tayyab hangs on the back foot and gets on top of the bounce to drop it beside the strip on the off side.

Pushes the length up and gets the ball to swing away but the line is a little too wide. Arif gets a good stride in and makes the leave.

FOUR! Lovely shot and this will help Tayyab Arif feel a lot better. Fernando goes full in search of swing and attacks the stumps. Arif leans into the drive and presents the full face of the bat. He does not try to overhit this one and just times the drive to the left of mid on for his first boundary in international cricket.

Streaky, but Tayyab Arif is off the mark in international cricket. Gets the ball to curve back in the air, on a good length, on middle. Arif leans on and tries to clip it away on the leg side. He closes the bat face early and it pops up off a leading edge but well wide of cover for a single.

Sprayed well down leg. Azan can't help it away. Kusal Mendis does well to dive to his right and gets a hand on it. It is parried to his right as the batters cross for a bye.

That is a peach! Good energy behind the ball from  Madushanka, hitting the deck hard and it takes off. Arif hangs back to defend but is beaten past the outside edge as the ball nips away with the angle.

A bit fuller, on the off stump. Tayyab stays back to stab it down the deck.

On a hard length, aimed at the ribs. Arif stands tall on his toes and rides the bounce well to nudge it down to deep fine leg for a single.

Lovely! Moving away in the air but the length is a little bit short and a result, Azan is able to tuck his bat inside the line.

On the money straight away. Hits the good length and angles it across the left-hander. Azan strides across and plays a punchy drive to cover.

Missed out! Short and wide on off, there to be put away. Awais frees his arms but snatches at the ball and ends up chopping it down to point.

A little bit of shape back into the left-hander, on a back of a length, on middle. Awais presses up on his toes and drops it beside the strip on the leg side.

A play and a miss! Not short enough to cut and not full enough to drive. This is pushed across the off stump. Awais does not move his feet at all and wafts away from his body. The ball kicks up a bit to go over the blade.

Moving back in the air slightly, on a good length, outside the off stump. Awais shoulders arms.

Asitha pitches it up and draws the batter forward. There is a hint of an inward shape, but Awais watchfully defends it out.