Babar Azam bats for pink ball in day Tests after bad light forces draw against SL in Rawalpindi

Close to 141 overs were lost due to bad light and rain in the first Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, forcing the series opener in Rawalpindi to end in a draw. Frustrated by the constant interruptions and lack of a result, Pakistan captain Babar Azam and head coach Mike Hesson urged the higher-ups to consider using the pink ball in day Tests in future series, especially during winter Tests across Pakistan.

Players walked off the field earlier than scheduled each evening due to fading light—with 14.2, 15.1 and 12 overs lost across the first three days alone, wiping out nearly two sessions of play. On day four, bad light again forced umpires to suspend play in the afternoon session before rain washed out the remainder of the day, pushing the match into the fifth day with an inevitable draw looming.

Pakistan resumed on day five leading Sri Lanka by 45 runs with one wicket down and batted throughout the day before the umpires called off play at 4:18 PM local time, almost two hours ahead of the scheduled 6:10 PM close. Earlier in the day, Pakistan batter Saud Shakeel was dismissed for the second time in the nineties in the same Test, becoming the sixth batter overall and the first Pakistani to achieve the feat.

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"It is certainly something that needs to be talked about for the future series," Hesson said in a chat with the host broadcaster after the match. "It is going to be a challenge to play Test matches in this time of the year regardless of where in Pakistan. As the ICC have now allowed that to be an option, this is something that seriously needs to be considered before the series."

Meanwhile, a Cricinfo report notes the two boards did not opt to switch to the pink ball for the second and last Test of the series after it was rescheduled to Rawalpindi because of hazardous levels of smog in Lahore. However, with limited time left between the two Tests (three days), Babar suggested it was not enough time to get accustomed to switching to the pink ball, but welcomed it as an alternative in future.

"You will need to prepare for it as we usually play with the red ball," Babar said in the post-match presentation. "A couple of days are not enough to prepare to play a Test with the pink ball. It is a good that we have it as an option, but the preparation for a pink ball Test demands more time."

With the first Test drawn, the second Test in Rawalpindi will be the decider, beginning on Tuesday (Nov 17).