Pakistan's home Test season is finally here. After winning the tri-nation ODI series, the Green Shirts now turn to the longest format as Sri Lanka come visiting for a two-match Test series — and for a team that has struggled badly in Test cricket this year, this series matters a lot.
Series Schedule
- 1st Test: 9 to 13 November 2026 — Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi
- 2nd Test: 17 to 21 November 2026 — Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
Both matches are part of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle.
Why This Series Is So Important
Pakistan's Test record in 2026 has been painful for fans: the team has lost six of its seven Test matches this year, and currently sits ninth in the ICC Test rankings and at the bottom of the World Test Championship table. A home series, in front of home crowds, is the best chance to turn that story around.
There is at least some momentum. Pakistan have just won the tri-nation ODI series, beating Sri Lanka in the final with a brilliant 127 from Fakhar Zaman. The fans will hope the confidence of that trophy carries into the red-ball series.
A Team in Rebuild Mode
Head coach Mike Hesson is reshaping the Test side. According to reports in The Express Tribune (4 November), the team management has asked for pace-friendly, fast pitches for both Tests, and a new opening combination is expected, with Azan Awais and Abdullah Fazal named as the leading contenders. Babar Azam leads the side as captain, and he has been playing domestic four-day cricket on the coach's advice to find his rhythm again.
Several senior names from earlier this year are no longer in the Test plans, which makes this series a genuine fresh start — new openers, a clear fast-bowling plan, and young players with everything to prove.
What to Watch
- Can Pakistan's fast bowlers use the pace-friendly home pitches better than the visitors?
- Will the new opening pair survive the new ball against Sri Lanka's attack?
- Can Babar Azam turn his ODI form into big Test runs at home?
- Sri Lanka, led in Tests by Kusal Mendis, have just seen Pakistan's batting strength in the tri-series final — they will come prepared.
The Bottom Line
Two Tests, two famous home grounds, and a team desperate to climb off the bottom of the table. The series starts on 9 November in Rawalpindi — and Cricket Khabar will bring you the squads, playing XIs, live scores and match reports for every day of both Tests. Stay with us.
Sources: The Express Tribune and ProPakistani reports, 4 November 2026; series fixtures as published in the ICC Future Tours Programme listings.
Photo: Pexels
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