Nissanka Pakistan Test series hopes are over after Sri Lanka ruled opener Pathum Nissanka out of the two-match Test series against Pakistan. He is still recovering from a left hamstring injury, and Sri Lanka Cricket has named Lahiru Udara as his replacement.
The series is part of the ICC World Test Championship, and Udara, already in Pakistan with Sri Lanka’s ODI squad, will simply stay on and join the Test squad.
Nissanka picked up the injury during Sri Lanka’s limited-overs tour of England. He has not played competitive cricket since then, and his recovery has not progressed far enough for him to return for the Tests.
Nissanka Pakistan Test series absence follows ODI blow
This is the third time the same injury has cost Nissanka a series in Pakistan. He missed the three-match T20I series against Pakistan earlier this month, and he was then ruled out of the ODI tri-series involving Pakistan and England after failing to receive medical clearance to return.
Sri Lanka had named Nissanka in the ODI squad subject to fitness, but the selectors eventually accepted that he was far from returning to competitive cricket. Udara replaced him in the ODI squad as well, so the Test call-up extends a role he already holds on this tour.
For Sri Lanka, the loss is serious. Nissanka is one of the most consistent openers in the side, and his absence leaves the top order short of experience at the start of a World Test Championship series. Kusal Mendis captains the Test side, and the batting group around him will have to carry extra responsibility in Rawalpindi and Lahore.
Udara gets his chance after a strong T20I showing
Udara, 32, has played five Tests and seven Twenty20 Internationals for Sri Lanka, but he is yet to make his ODI debut. His recent form in the shortest format helped his case: he scored 91 off 55 balls in the first T20I against Pakistan, his maiden fifty-plus score in T20I cricket.
He also has a Test hundred to his name, scoring 188 against West Indies in July 2026. In List A cricket, he has scored 3,017 runs in 102 matches at an average of 32.09, with three centuries and 21 half-centuries.
Those numbers explain why the selectors turned to him rather than a younger, uncapped opener. Udara is already in Pakistan and already in touch after playing limited-overs cricket on this tour.
Pakistan’s bowlers will know him well by the time the Tests start. Pakistan’s own preparations are under way, with Pakistan’s ODI tri-series training in Rawalpindi and the first ODI preview against Sri Lanka both covered on this site.
Nissanka Pakistan Test series schedule
| Match | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Three-day warm-up match | November 4 to 6 | Islamabad Club |
| First Test | November 9 to 13 | Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium |
| Second Test | November 17 to 21 | Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore |
Updated Sri Lanka Test squad
The revised 15-member squad is Kusal Mendis (captain), Anjala Bandara, Dinesh Chandimal, Dhananjaya de Silva, Sonal Dinusha, Asitha Fernando, Prabath Jayasuriya, Lahiru Kumara, Dilshan Madushanka, Eshan Malinga, Kamindu Mendis, Lahiru Udara, Keshara Nuwantha, Milan Rathnayaka and Pasindu Sooriyabandara.
Why the injury matters for both sides
Sri Lanka’s problem is the top of the order. Nissanka’s injury removes a proven run-scorer from a two-Test series, and it forces a reshuffle only days before the warm-up match in Islamabad.
Pakistan’s interest is different. The home side will see a Sri Lanka team without its first-choice opener, but also a team with a point to prove. The changes to the Pakistan-Sri Lanka tri-series and Shadab Khan’s century that took Pakistan into the tri-series final show how quickly a tour can change shape when one player steps up.
The World Test Championship context adds weight: every Test in this cycle carries points, and a series win in Pakistan would be a major result for Sri Lanka.
What happens next
Sri Lanka will begin preparations with the three-day warm-up match at Islamabad Club from November 4 to 6. The first Test follows at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium from November 9 to 13, and the second Test takes place at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore from November 17 to 21. The full announcement is covered by Geo and Ada Derana.
