After a decade – and baby steps taken over the past four years in T20s, ODIs and the Pakistan Super League – Test cricket, for many the real deal, has finally returned to Pakistan. And indeed, after Lahore and Karachi have successfully hosted international cricket over the past four years, it’s now Rawalpindi that is welcoming it back for the first time since Pakistan cricket’s forced exile.
Before we get into the first day of the first match itself, the two Test series against Sri Lanka are perhaps the final push that will open the floodgates of international cricket in Pakistan. It is hoped that Bangladesh will follow suit in January next year, as a tumultuous decade for Pakistan cricket, and indeed the country as a whole, is on the verge of ending on a positive note, in turn heralding a much brighter 2020s.
Of course, as has been quite often the case over the past four-and-a-half years, every time an international series is taking place in Pakistan, the result of the contest takes the backseat. While that might be true to some extent – possibly for one last time – in this case as well, there is a lot at stake on the field for Pakistan cricket as well.
After the mauling in Australia, and a clean sweep at the hands of an unexperienced Sri Lankan side in the T20I series at home in October, the three-month old Misbah-ul-Haq-led management is already desperate for a positive result.
While Misbah, Pakistan’s Chief Selector and Head Coach, maintains that at least a year is needed to show tangible results, he should know all too well that there is little patience back home – lesser when it comes to local coaches and perhaps among the least for Misbah himself.
Therefore, if the management doesn’t get the right results against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, the already deafening uproar could easily become so loud so as to call for knee-jerk reactions.
On the contrary, the team selection for Pakistan in the first Test, doesn’t reflect any pressure at all on Misbah. Dropping the side’s leading spinner, Yasir Shah, and going with a four pacer attack at home, is anything but a conservative move. The same is true for not starting Fawad Alam after bringing him into the squad.
After the first session on Day 1 it appeared as though the first move had backfired bigtime as Pakistan remained wicket less in the first session with openers Dimuth Karunaratne (59) and Oshada Fernando (40) both among the runs.
The second session could not have panned out better for Pakistan as the home team took four quick wickets, with each of the four fast bowlers getting one each, taking Sri Lanka from 96-0 to 127-4, as Kusal Mendis (10) and Dinesh Chandimal (2) fell early. Following a 62 run partnership with Dhananjaya de Silva (38*), Angelo Mathews (31) became Naseem Shah’s second scalp.
Mohammad Abbas, Shaheeh Shah Afridi and debutant Usman Shinwari had a wicket each as Sri Lanka finished the day at 202/5 after 68.1 overs after bad light abandoned play on Day 1, with de Silva and Niroshan Dickwella (11*) at the crease.
While the result might have taken the backseat, possibly one last time, there is a lot at stake on the field for Pakistan as well
The piece was filed after the first day’s play, with the second day already having taken place by the time you read this. If Pakistan dismiss the remaining half of the Sri Lankan wickets early, and get a solid start on Day 2, the hosts would be in a decent position on Day 3.
Failing to get a substantial lead after one innings each might be problematic, given that Pakistan would be batting last – something they haven’t done well over the past couple of seasons, now with the added pressure of what might just be a must-win series for the side.
