Galle International Stadium, Galle: All You Need to Know Ahead of SL vs PAK, 1st Test

Sri Lanka (SL) will clash against rivals Pakistan (PAK) in the first Test match at Galle International Stadium starting on July 16. This will be the first assignment for both teams in the ICC World Test Championship 2023-2025 cycle and both Asian giants will look for a positive start.

Sri Lanka will be led by Dimuth Karunaratne, while Pakistan will be led by Babar Azam. Both teams have a strong batting line-up, but their bowling attack is a bit weak. Sri Lanka will be hoping that their spinners will be able to take wickets on the Galle pitch, which is known to be a spin-friendly wicket. Pakistan, on the other hand, will be hoping that their fast bowlers will be able to take wickets on the pitch.

The match is expected to be a close one, and both teams will be looking for a win to start their campaign on a positive note.

Despite Dimuth Karunartne’s decision to resign from captaincy duties at the end of the last WTC cycle, the hosts have named him to lead the team in the first match. Sri Lanka has won four of their seven Test matches played against Pakistan at Galle and will enter this game as favorites due to home advantage. Karunaratne is in good form, having scored two centuries in his last three Tests. He will be hoping to lead his team to a victory in the first match and take a 1-0 lead in the series.

​Pitch Report – SL vs PAK

Galle International Stadium is a balanced pitch for red-ball cricket. Spinners have always had an advantage here, as the ball turns from the start. However, batsmen will find it easy to score in the first innings.

​Will Toss Matter?

It is highly improbable that either team will be able to bowl out the other twice on this evenly-balanced pitch. The average first innings score here is 366, but this drops to 158 in the fourth innings. This suggests that both teams have the potential to post a challenging total in the first innings and that the match is likely to be a close one.

Galle International Stadium – The Numbers Game 

Basic Test Statistics

• Total matches: 43
• Matches won batting first: 23 (53.48%)
• Matches won bowling first: 14 (32.56%)

The team has a win percentage of 53.48% when batting first, and a win percentage of 32.56% when bowling first.

Average Test Stats

• The average first innings score in Test cricket is 366 runs. The average second innings score is 310 runs, the average third innings score is 233 runs, and the average fourth innings score is 158 runs. The highest total recorded in Test cricket is 704/3 (151 Ov) by Sri Lanka against Ireland in 2016. The highest score chased in Test cricket is 73/10 (28.5 Ov) by South Africa against Sri Lanka in 2006.
• These statistics show that it is generally easier to score runs in the first innings than in the second, third, or fourth innings. This is because the pitch is usually at its best in the first innings, and it becomes more difficult to bat as the match progresses. The highest total recorded in Test cricket is an example of this, as Sri Lanka scored a very large number of runs in their first innings. The highest score chased in Test cricket is also an example of this, as South Africa was able to chase down a very large target in the fourth innings.
• These statistics are also interesting because they show that there is a lot of variation in the scores that are recorded in Test cricket. For example, the average first innings score is 366 runs, but the highest total recorded is 704/3. This shows that there is a lot of potential for high scores in Test cricket.

SL vs PAK Probable XI

The following is a list of players for Sri Lanka and Pakistan squads for the upcoming Test match:

Sri Lanka Squad:

• Dimuth Karunaratne (captain)
• Nishan Madushka
• Kusal Mendis
• Angelo Mathews
• Dinesh Chandimal
• Dhananjaya de Silva
• Pathum Nissanka
• Sadeera Samarawickrama (wicket-keeper)
• Kamindu Mendis
• Ramesh Mendis
• Prabath Jayasuriya
• Praveen Jayawickrama
• Kasun Rajitha
• Dilshan Madushanka
• Vishwa Fernando
• Lakshitha Manasinghe

Pakistan Squad:

• Babar Azam (captain)
• Imam-ul-Haq
• Abdullah Shafique
• Fawad Alam
• Azhar Ali
• Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper)
• Nauman Ali
• Shaheen Afridi
• Hasan Ali
• Yasir Shah
• Mohammad Nawaz
• Sajid Khan
• Haris Rauf
• Mohammad Wasim Jr.
• Zahid Mahmood

The match will be played at the Galle International Stadium in Galle, Sri Lanka, from July 16-20.