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Umpires were forced to call the day off in Rawalpindi due to low light. The Pakistan vs Sri Lanka 1st Test match ended in a draw, with concerns over low light ahead of the second and final match of the bilateral Test series.
After the match, Pakistan's Test skipper Babar Azam was asked whether he would consider the day-night format for the next match, which will be in Rawalpindi as well. The second match was about to take place in Lahore, but it has been moved to Rawalpindi amid growing concerns over daylight.
When Babarwas asked about the day-night Test format, he instantly denied the proposal, reflecting on the team's preparations. Babar stated that throughout the year, they keep themselves prepared with the red ball.
Suddenly, a match with a pink ball will cause trouble for them, as there are not many days left before the second Test match against Sri Lanka. The 1st Test match ended today, on November 13, and Day 1 of the second match will be on November 17, at the same venue.
The captain, in his statement, also mentioned that to avoid the low-light factor, organising a pink-ball Test is a good option indeed, but to play a Test match under the floodlights, a 3-day gap will not be sufficient for the Pakistan National Cricket Team, as Babar Azam opined.
"I think it's a good option, but it requires proper preparation. We play with the red ball throughout the year, so suddenly switching to the pink ball within a couple of days doesn't give a Test team enough time to prepare adequately. It is certainly an interesting option, and if we have more time to prepare for it, it could be a different ball game altogether," Babar Azam told the broadcaster.
Talking about the match, Pakistan went to bat first after losing the toss and scored 434 runs in their first innings. Saud Shakeel was the highest scorer for them with 97 runs from 199 balls. Babar Azam also played significantly well with a half-century.
Sri Lanka was under pressure when Pakistan started to bowl. With the new ball in hand, the home team bowlers took two wickets early in Sri Lanka's innings. The visitors started their fight-back with the help of their middle-order batters.
Centuries from Dhananjaya de Silva and the skipper Kusal Mendis helped the Lankans edge past the first innings total set by the hosts. Behind the result of the match, along with the bad light at the end of the day, Sri Lanka's middle-order batters also played a crucial role.
In the second innings, the bowlers from the island nation delivered a few well-timed spells as well. Pakistan eventually lost eight wickets in the innings for 284 runs before the end of Day 5. Babar Azam scored 34 runs in this phase of the game.
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