Sri Lanka vs Pakistan 1st Test: Galle International Stadium Pitch Report, Team Records at Galle

Sri Lanka are all set to host Pakistan for a short two-match Test series and the SL vs PAK 1st Test match is scheduled to begin from 16 July, 2023 at the Galle International Stadium in Galle. Hosts Sri Lanka will definitely be taking a bit of confidence from their massive 2-0 Test series victory over Ireland at home, however, they lost their most recent away Test series in New Zealand. On the other hand, Pakistan ended up drawing both of their previous two Test matches at home against New Zealand.

Galle International Stadium Pitch Report

The Galle International Stadium is set to host the Sri Lanka vs Pakistan match with a pitch that favors spin bowling. This anticipated spin-friendly pitch promises an exciting showdown between the batsmen and the bowlers. Batsmen will have to exercise caution and make necessary adjustments to tackle the demanding conditions. The spinners, on the other hand, will play a crucial role and could potentially turn the game in their team’s favor.

With the pitch expected to offer significant assistance to spinners, it is evident that spin will reign supreme at Galle starting from tomorrow. However, batting could be relatively easier, particularly during the initial days of the match. Consequently, winning the coin toss will likely prompt the captain to elect to bat first.

AccuWeather, a reliable weather portal, predicts a rain probability just above 30% for a significant portion of the playing hours on Sunday, with the first two sessions of the day also experiencing a similar probability. However, it is expected that after 04:00 PM (local time) on Day 1, the rain probability will increase to the 40s for the first time. This raises the likelihood of an interruption during the evening session, necessitating preparedness from players, fans, and especially the ground staff. Notably, in Sri Lanka, there is a tendency among concerned individuals to cover the entire ground, so any damage caused by rain is unlikely to have a significant impact on the outfield.

Team Records at Galle

• Out of the 43 Test matches played at the Galle International Stadium so far, Sri Lanka have emerged victorious in 23 games, 12 Tests have been won by visiting teams and 6 matches have been drawn.
• During the most recent Test match at this venue, Sri Lanka defeated Ireland by an innings and 10 runs.
• The average first innings score on this ground remains around the 350 – 360 mark.
• Chris Gayle played a mammoth innings of 333 runs against Sri Lanka in 2010 which is the highest individual score at this venue.