These teams had played a series in Pakistan in 2019, which the home side had won 1-0. But in Sri Lanka, at least, this seems a fresh start. The batting greats from either side are gone. Pakistan have fearsome young quicks, and Sri Lanka’s batting is beginning to make strides, despite their woeful outing in the first Test against Australia.
How the slow bowlers from either side impose themselves on the match may go a long way to deciding the outcome.
Form guide
(completed matches, most recent first)
Sri Lanka WLWDL
Pakistan LDDWW
Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Oshada Fernando, 2 Dimuth Karunaratne (capt), 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Angelo Mathews, 5 Dhananjaya de Silva, 6 Dinesh Chandimal, 7 Niroshan Dickwella (wk), 8 Ramesh Mendis, 9 Maheesh Theekshana, 10 Prabath Jayasuriya, 11 Asitha Fernando
Pakistan are likely to have Yasir in the XI, which means Sajid Khan will be out. Their attack may have three quicks – Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Naseem Shah.
Pakistan (possible): 1 Abdullah Shafique, 2 Imam-ul-Haq, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Babar Azam (capt), 5 Fawad Alam, 6 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 7 Nauman Ali, 8 Yasir Shah, 9 Hasan Ali, 10 Shaheen Shah Afridi, 11 Naseem Shah
The surface is likely to be decent for batting in the first two days, before it starts to take spin from day three. There is always the likelihood of rain in Galle at this time of the year, while the stiff wind that blows across the ground will also be something bowlers will have to contend with.