Pakistan welcome Test cricket return as Sri Lanka reach 202 at stumps

• Test cricket returns to the country after a decade.
• First Test is being played in Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

Game evenly poised on day-one as Pakistan welcome long awaited Test cricket return to the country after a decade.

The day started with national anthems following the toss which won by the visitors. Batting first Sri Lanka were in commanding position as they see off the first session without losing a wicket and 89 runs on the board.

Following the lunch break, Shaheen Shah Afridi provided a much needed breakthrough by removing Sri Lankan skipper Dimuth Karunaratne, who scored 59.

Karunaratne hit nine boundaries in his 110-ball knock and set the platform after Sri Lanka won the toss and batted.

Once the opening stand of 96 was broken, 16-year-old pacer Naseem Shah had Oshada Fernando caught in the slip for 40, laced with six boundaries and a six.

Usman Shinwari also claimed his first wicket when Kusal Mendis edged him to wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan for 10, while Mohammad Abbas bowled Dinesh Chandimal for two with a beautiful delivery.

After the break though, Pakistan pacers showed some form and picked up three more wickets before heading into the tea.  Angelo Mathews was unbeaten on 14 and with him Dhananjaya de Silva not out on three.

The pair then provided 36-run stand for fifth wicket, as Shah claimed his second wicket of the game in shape of experienced Mathews (31).

The game was interrupted in 68.1 over due to bad light before umpires decided to call the stumps with Sri Lanka 202/5.

It is worth to mention here that, Sri Lanka have embarked on the first Test tour of Pakistan since the gun-and-rocket attack in March 2009 killed eight people and wounded visiting players and officials, plunging Pakistan into sporting isolation.

With foreign teams refusing to tour, Pakistan have since played their ´home´ fixtures in the United Arab Emirates, meaning all of their current team are now playing their first Test on home soil.

However, as security has improved, Pakistan has gradually revived international cricket with limited-overs matches against Zimbabwe, World XI, the West Indies and Sri Lanka over the last four years.

Pakistan, who surprisingly left out their key spinner Yasir Shah and opted for a four-man pace attack, struggled for a breakthrough.

Naseem was the stand-out bowler in the morning as he generated pace, hitting Karunaratne on the helmet in the 19th over.

Sri Lankan skipper, then on 42, fell down but showed no further signs of discomfort, hitting Shaheen Shah Afridi for his eighth boundary to reach 24th Test fifty.