Heavy downpour forces abandonment of play

The first day of the first Test between Sri Lanka and Pakistan at the SSC ground in Colombo has been called off by umpires Rudi Koertzen and Steve Davis.

Although the rain had stopped by the time the umpires arrived to inspect the ground at 1.00pm local time, parts of the outfield, though covered, were submerged due to the heavy nature of the earlier showers. Upon inspection, the umpires decided the ground would not be in any condition to allow play and immediately ended the day. Just over a week ago, a spectacular thunderstorm had washed out the first ODI between the two sides at the Premadasa stadium in Colombo.

When play now resumes tomorrow morning - half an hour early to make up for the lost time - Sri Lanka will be without the services of their opening batsman and opening bowler, Marvan Atapattu and Chaminda Vaas, and Pakistan will have to do without the experience of Mohammad Yousuf who has pulled out with a hamstring strain. His place is likely to be taken by Faisal Iqbal, scorer of an impressive maiden Test century in Pakistan's last Test, against India in Karachi.

Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Sanath Jayasuriya, 2 Upal Tharanga, 3 Kumara Sangakkara (wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene (capt), 5 Tillekeratne Dilshan, 6 Thilan Samaraweera, 7 Malinga Bandara, 8 Farvez Maharoof, 9 Dilhara Fernando, 10 Lasith Malinga, 11 Muttiah Muralitharan

Pakistan (probable): 1 Imran Farhat, 2 Shoaib Malik, 3 Younis Khan, 4 Inzamam-ul-Haq (capt), 5 Faisal Iqbal, 6 Shahid Afridi, 7 Abdul Razzaq, 8 Kamran Akmal (wk), 9 Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, 10 Mohammad Asif, 11 Danish Kaneria