Rusty Pakistan and overworked Sri Lanka are set for an enthralling contest when they open a two-Test series in Galle today, the last for the retiring Mahela Jayawardene.
The former Sri Lankan captain, whose elegant batting has seen him rise to sixth place in the all-time scorers’ list with 11,671 runs in 147 Tests, is due to quit the longer format after the series.
But rival captains Misbah-ul Haq of Pakistan and Angelo Mathews of Sri Lanka will look to put aside the emotions of a farewell series as they find themselves battling contrasting worries.
While Pakistan may be under-prepared for their first Test series since January, Mathews said his team were “drained mentally and physically” due to a surfeit of international cricket.
Sri Lanka have been on the road since the start of the year, touring the United Arab Emirates, Bangladesh and England for Test and limited-overs cricket before last month’s home series against South Africa.
“Pakistan have had a good rest whereas we have been playing continuous cricket,” the Sri Lankan captain said. “It’s always good to get some rest to refresh your minds and bodies.
“That is the challenge we are facing as players. When you are playing constantly, you get drained mentally and physically. But the challenge for us is to try and be consistent.
“It works both ways. They (Pakistan) can be a bit rusty, but you never know. They are very unpredictable. They come out all guns blazing. They are a very formidable team when it comes to Tests.”