Saud Shakeel fell three runs short of a century for the second time in the match, but his fighting 97 saved Pakistan as the weather-hit first Test against Sri Lanka ended in a draw at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Friday, 13 November. Pakistan declared their second innings at 284-8, an overall lead of 272, and the captains shook hands with Sri Lanka having no realistic chance of forcing a win.

It was a Test shaped almost as much by the weather as by the cricket. Bad light cut into the final session on each of the first four days, and 117 of the 360 scheduled overs were lost across the match. Sri Lanka still came close to a famous win on the final morning, reducing Pakistan to 125-5, before Shakeel and Ghazi Ghori batted the danger away. The series stays level at 0-0, with the second Test at the same venue from Tuesday, 17 November.

Shakeel falls three short — twice

Shakeel had already made 93 in the first innings, and he looked set to go one better second time around. He batted for almost the entire final day, facing 210 balls and hitting seven fours, before Lahiru Kumara bowled him late in the day. It was his 13th Test half-century, and the second time in five days he had been dismissed in the nineties.

His first-innings 93 had come off 199 balls with nine fours, and ended when Asitha Fernando had him caught behind — the wicket that brought Fernando his 100th Test wicket. Between the two innings, Shakeel scored 190 runs and was dismissed twice in the nineties, a cruel return for the most composed batting of the match.

A morning collapse, then the rescue

Pakistan resumed the final day on 57-1, 45 runs ahead, and Sri Lanka struck immediately. Kumara dismissed Azan Awais with the first ball of the day for 22, and in the next over Fernando had Mohammad Taha caught behind for 24. Pakistan were 57-3, and the collapse was on.

Babar Azam, the captain, steadied things with Shakeel, adding 50 for the fourth wicket. Babar hit six fours in his 34 before falling to a leg-side trap, handing the short square-leg fielder a simple catch off Milan Rathnayaka. Salman Ali Agha fell in the same manner off the same bowler for 13, leaving Pakistan on 125-5 and Sri Lanka scenting a win.

Babar could have gone much earlier. Kamindu Mendis spilled a simple chance off Fernando when the Pakistan captain was on 22, and Babar could not make the reprieve count. His 34 means he has now gone 42 innings without a Test century, a drought that stretches back more than two years.

A brief 20-minute bad light break ahead of lunch gave Pakistan some breathing room, and after the interval Shakeel found his partner. He and Ghazi Ghori, the wicketkeeper-batter, added 92 runs for the sixth wicket, pushing the lead past 200. Ghori made 35 off 69 balls before Rathnayaka removed him, and debutant Arafat Minhas then helped Shakeel add 44 more, making 16 before Dhananjaya de Silva dismissed him. By the time Kumara bowled Shakeel, Pakistan were 284-8 with Razaullah unbeaten on 6, and the draw was agreed.

Rathnayaka was Sri Lanka's best bowler on the final day with 3-47, while Fernando took 2-35 and Kumara 2-65.

Saqib's debut seven-for

The match had swung Pakistan's way on the fourth morning, thanks to debutant fast bowler Saqib Khan. Sri Lanka had resumed on 404-4 with both centurions at the crease and a 249-run stand behind them, dreaming of a big first-innings lead. Saqib destroyed those plans in a single unbroken eight-over spell, taking five wickets for 25 runs.

He had Dhananjaya de Silva, on 167, nicking an away-swinger behind off the fifth ball of the day, and then had Kusal Mendis, on 119, edging to the wicketkeeper after adding just two more runs. Sonal Dinusha, Asitha Fernando and Lahiru Kumara followed, and Sri Lanka lost their last six wickets for 42 runs, bowled out for 446 — a lead of only 12 over Pakistan's 434-9 declared.

Saqib finished with 7-130, the joint-most wickets by a Pakistan bowler on Test debut. Mohammad Zahid, Mohammad Nazir and Abrar Ahmed are the only other Pakistan bowlers to have taken seven wickets in an innings on debut. Saqib was one of four debutants in the Pakistan side.

How the first innings unfolded

Pakistan had batted first and declared at 434-9 in 106.3 overs. Shakeel top-scored with 93, Ghori made 48, and Minhas marked his debut with a 52 off 72 balls, hitting nine fours and a six. Razaullah chipped in with 10 before Babar declared. Fernando and Dilshan Madushanka took three wickets each for Sri Lanka, Madushanka finishing with 3-108.

Sri Lanka's reply was built on the 249-run stand between Dhananjaya and Kusal Mendis, who made 167 and 119 respectively. At 404-4 they looked set for a lead of 100 or more, before Saqib's spell turned the match. Razaullah took the final wicket, having Milan Rathnayaka caught in the deep.

The weather won

For all the good cricket, this was a Test the weather would not let finish. Bad light ended play early on each of the first four days, and rain added to the lost time, with 117 overs gone from the 360 scheduled. Even on the final day, the umpires took the players off for bad light shortly before lunch.

It is the first drawn game for Pakistan in this World Test Championship cycle, in which they had previously lost seven and won two of nine matches. For Sri Lanka, the frustration is real: they had Pakistan 125-5 on the final morning and a 12-run first-innings lead, but the weather and Shakeel's resistance left them with a draw from a match they had controlled for long stretches.

What happens next

The second and final Test starts at the same venue, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, on Tuesday, 17 November. It was moved from Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore because of the smog in Lahore, so both Tests of the series are now being played in Rawalpindi. With the series level at 0-0, the second Test is a decider, and both sides will hope the weather is kinder.

FAQs

What was the result of the first Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Test?

The match ended in a draw at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Friday, 13 November 2026. Pakistan made 434-9 declared and 284-8, Sri Lanka made 446, and the captains shook hands with Pakistan's overall lead at 272.

How many runs did Saud Shakeel score in the match?

Shakeel scored 190 runs in the match — 93 in the first innings and 97 in the second. He was dismissed in the nineties both times, falling three runs short of a century in the second innings when Lahiru Kumara bowled him.

What were Saqib Khan's figures on Test debut?

Saqib Khan took 7-130 in Sri Lanka's first innings, including five wickets for 25 runs in an eight-over spell on the fourth morning. It is the joint-most wickets by a Pakistan bowler on Test debut.

How many overs were lost to bad light and rain?

117 of the 360 scheduled overs were lost across the five days. Bad light cut into the final session on each of the first four days, and there was another bad light break on the final morning.

When and where is the second Test?

The second Test starts on Tuesday, 17 November 2026, at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium — the same venue as the first Test. It was moved from Lahore because of the smog there, and with the series level at 0-0, it is the decider.

Conclusion

This was a Test that deserved a result and never got one. Sri Lanka had the better of long stretches, Pakistan had the best individual performances, and the weather had the final say. Shakeel's twin nineties and Saqib's debut seven-for will be the lasting memories, and both sides now have four days to reset before the decider in Rawalpindi — where, for once, the forecast will matter as much as the team news.

Also on CricVic: Smog Forces Second Pakistan–Sri Lanka Test Out of Lahore as PCB Moves Match to Rawalpindi and Live Matches Today: Cricket Schedule, 13 November 2026

Sources: ARY News — Pakistan, bad weather hold Sri Lanka to draw in first Test, Associated Press — Pakistan's gritty Shakeel again misses out on a century in drawn test against Sri Lanka, Daily Pakistan — Pakistan, Sri Lanka draw Rawalpindi Test as Shakeel misses century by three runs, ESPNcricinfo — Saqib's seven headlines Pakistan's dominant day