Pakistan and Sri Lanka meet at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, on Tuesday, 17 November 2026 for the 2nd Test, after a draw in Rawalpindi on 9 November. The CricStats data lean finds little separating the sides. This preview covers head-to-head, recent form, venue trends and a numbers-based prediction.
Head-to-Head: Pakistan Hold the Overall Edge
Across 60 Tests since the first meeting in 1982, Pakistan have won 23 and Sri Lanka 17. The other 20 matches were tied, drawn or ended with no result. That is a 38.3% win share for Pakistan, 28.3% for Sri Lanka and 33.3% for the remainder.
The recent record is more mixed than the overall one. The last five meetings, including the Rawalpindi draw, are below.
| Date | Result | Venue |
|---|
| 9 Nov 2026 | Match drawn | Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium |
| 24 Jul 2023 | Pakistan won by an innings and 222 runs | Sinhalese Sports Club |
| 16 Jul 2023 | Pakistan won by 4 wickets | Galle International Stadium |
| 24 Jul 2022 | Sri Lanka won by 246 runs | Galle International Stadium |
| 16 Jul 2022 | Pakistan won by 4 wickets | Galle International Stadium |
Pakistan won three of those four decisive results. Across the last 10 decisive meetings, the split is Pakistan 60% and Sri Lanka 40%.
Recent Form: Neither Side Arrives Strong
Pakistan's last 10 completed Tests read D L L L W L L W L L, which is 2 wins and 7 losses. Their latest four results before the draw were losses to England and a win over West Indies.
Sri Lanka's last 10 read D D L D L W D L L W, which is 2 wins and 4 losses. They have drawn four of their last six Tests, including the match in Rawalpindi.
| Metric | Pakistan | Sri Lanka |
|---|
| Last 10 Tests (W-L) | 2-7 | 2-4 |
| Recent win rate | 22% | 33% |
| Latest result | Draw v Sri Lanka | Draw v Pakistan |
Sri Lanka's higher recent win rate offsets Pakistan's historical advantage. Pakistan have also lost more matches than any other result type in this window.
Venue Profile: Gaddafi Stadium
Gaddafi Stadium has hosted 42 completed Tests. Teams chasing have won 12 of them, against 3 for teams batting first. The average first-innings total is 324.
| Gaddafi Stadium Metric | Value |
|---|
| Completed Tests | 42 |
| Won batting first | 3 |
| Won chasing | 12 |
| Average first-innings total | 324 |
| Pakistan v Sri Lanka meetings here | 4 |
What the Venue Numbers Suggest
The chasing-to-batting-first win ratio is 4 to 1 in these results. Historically, the venue has rewarded the side batting second. The toss and conditions are not covered here, so this is a trend rather than a forecast.
Players in Form Over the Last 12 Months
Squads are not confirmed. The players below have been in form in Tests over the last 12 months and should not be read as certain starters.
Pakistan
| Player | Role | Output | Rate |
|---|
| Saud Shakeel | Batting | 394 runs in 8 inns (best 97) | 49.3 runs per innings |
| Babar Azam | Batting | 374 runs in 10 inns (best 88) | 37.4 runs per innings |
| Shan Masood | Batting | 273 runs in 8 inns (best 109) | 34.1 runs per innings |
| Mohammad Abbas | Bowling | 23 wkts in 5 matches | 4.6 wkts per match |
| Mohammad Ali | Bowling | 17 wkts in 5 matches | 3.4 wkts per match |
| Ali Usman | Bowling | 12 wkts in 4 matches | 3.0 wkts per match |
Sri Lanka
| Player | Role | Output | Rate |
|---|
| Sonal Dinusha | Batting | 615 runs in 9 inns (best 133) | 68.3 runs per innings |
| Dhananjaya de Silva | Batting | 465 runs in 9 inns (best 167) | 51.7 runs per innings |
| Kamindu Mendis | Batting | 298 runs in 9 inns (best 84) | 33.1 runs per innings |
| Asitha Fernando | Bowling | 22 wkts in 5 matches | 4.4 wkts per match |
| Prabath Jayasuriya | Bowling | 12 wkts in 3 matches | 4.0 wkts per match |
| Milan Rathnayaka | Bowling | 10 wkts in 3 matches | 3.3 wkts per match |
Sri Lanka's leading batter has scored 615 runs against 394 for Pakistan's. Pakistan's leading bowler has 23 wickets against 22 for Sri Lanka's.
Top Performers in This Fixture Since 2021
Dhananjaya de Silva leads the run charts in this fixture since 2021 with 614 runs in 9 innings, or 68.2 per innings. Saud Shakeel has 485 in 5 innings, or 97.0 per innings, and Babar Azam has 431 in 9, or 47.9 per innings.
| Category | Player | Output |
|---|
| Runs | Dhananjaya de Silva (SL) | 614 in 9 inns |
| Runs | Saud Shakeel (PAK) | 485 in 5 inns |
| Runs | Babar Azam (PAK) | 431 in 9 inns |
| Wickets | Prabath Jayasuriya (SL) | 26 |
| Wickets | Ramesh Mendis (SL) | 18 |
| Wickets | Naseem Shah (PAK) | 16 |
Sri Lanka's spinners hold the top two wicket-taking places in this fixture since 2021. Pakistan's batters hold two of the top three run-scoring places.
CricStats Prediction: Too Close to Call
The CricStats data lean is Pakistan 52% and Sri Lanka 48%, which is too close to call. Pakistan's head-to-head edge, 60% of the last 10 decisive meetings, is balanced by Sri Lanka's higher recent win rate of 33% against 22%.
The numbers suggest a tight contest rather than a clear favourite. The venue's record of 12 chasing wins to 3 batting-first wins is the one trend that could tilt the match, but it is not a certainty.