Saqib Khan Takes Seven Wickets on Debut as Pakistan Fight Back in Rawalpindi Test Against Sri Lanka

November 12, 2026 Faizan Altaf

Sri Lanka were cruising. At the start of day four in Rawalpindi, they were 404 for four, with two batsmen past a hundred and a lead of their own almost in sight. Ninety minutes later, they were all out for 446 — and the man who had destroyed them was a 31-year-old fast bowler playing his first Test match.

Saqib Khan took seven wickets for 130 runs as Pakistan bowled Sri Lanka out on the fourth morning of the first Test at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Thursday, 12 November 2026. Sri Lanka added just 42 runs for their last six wickets, and their first-innings lead was only 12 runs. By lunch, Pakistan had reached 39 for one in their second innings, turning a match that had looked lost into one they could still win.

It was one of the great debut spells in Pakistan’s Test history — and it came after three days in which Pakistan’s bowlers had been made to work for almost nothing.

At a glance

What happened: Debutant fast bowler Saqib Khan took 7 for 130 as Sri Lanka collapsed from 404-4 to 446 all out on day four of the first Test in Rawalpindi.
Why it matters: Saqib became only the fourth Pakistani to take seven wickets in an innings on Test debut, and his spell turned a match Sri Lanka had controlled into a contest Pakistan can win.
Where the match stands: Sri Lanka lead by 12 runs on first innings. Pakistan reached 39-1 at lunch on day four, an overall lead of 27 runs.
What happens next: Pakistan will look to build a lead and set Sri Lanka a target on a pitch that has started to help the bowlers, with one day left after today.

The morning that changed the match

Sri Lanka resumed on Thursday morning in complete control. Dhananjaya de Silva was unbeaten on 167 overnight, captain Kusal Mendis was on 117, and together they had added 249 runs for the fifth wicket. Pakistan had declared at 434 for nine, so the visitors were only 30 runs behind with six wickets still in hand. A lead of 100 or more looked likely. A lead of 200 did not look impossible.

Saqib Khan ended that idea in the first over of the day. With only the fifth ball of the morning, he found the outside edge of de Silva’s bat, and wicketkeeper Ghazi Ghori took the catch. De Silva was gone for 167 off 246 balls, an innings that had included 20 fours.

One over later, Saqib struck again. Kusal Mendis, who had added just two runs to his overnight score, edged a probing delivery outside off stump, and Ghori dived to take another fine catch. The Sri Lanka captain was out for 119 off 202 balls, with 10 fours and four sixes. In the space of two overs, both set batsmen were gone, and Sri Lanka were suddenly 404 for six.

It did not stop there. In a relentless eight-over spell on the fourth morning, Saqib took five wickets for 25 runs. Sonal Dinusha, a young batsman who had scored three hundreds and two fifties in his previous five Test matches, made 20 before driving expansively at Saqib and edging to the slips. Saqib kissed the turf as he completed his five-wicket haul.

Milan Rathnayake pushed Sri Lanka past Pakistan’s total with a pulled boundary off Razaullah, but Saqib then removed the tail. Lahiru Kumara was out without scoring, and Asitha Fernando was caught behind for four — a dismissal given on review that gave Ghori his sixth catch behind the stumps. Razaullah wrapped up the innings by having Rathnayake, who made 12, caught at deep fine leg.

Sri Lanka were all out for 446 in 117.2 overs. They had lost their last six wickets for 42 runs in about an hour and a half. Saqib finished with figures of seven for 130 in 34 overs. Mohammad Abbas took two wickets and Razaullah one, for 140 runs.

How Saqib Khan did it

The conditions helped, but Saqib used them better than anyone else. The morning in Rawalpindi was overcast, and the ball swung. Saqib, bowling with pace and control, kept attacking the outside edge, and the Sri Lankan batsmen kept finding the wicketkeeper and the slips.

His spell was not just about the new ball or the weather. He had already shown his quality earlier in the innings. On the second day, when Sri Lanka had slipped to 12 for two, Saqib took his first wicket in Test cricket, removing Dinesh Chandimal for one. He then dismissed Lahiru Udara for 42. Those were the wickets of a bowler who belonged at this level. What he did on the fourth morning was the work of a bowler who had waited a long time for his chance and was not going to waste it.

Saqib is 31 years old, which makes him an unusually late debutant in modern Test cricket. Most fast bowlers make their Test debut in their early twenties. Saqib has come through years of domestic cricket instead, and his selection for this series was a reward for persistence. On Thursday morning, that persistence paid off in the most dramatic way possible.

There was also a small piece of history in the morning’s play. Saud Shakeel had dropped de Silva on 38 on the third day, and he spilled another low catch off Mendis on the fourth morning — but two balls later, Ghori’s diving catch removed the Sri Lanka captain anyway. It was the kind of morning where even the mistakes did not matter, because the bowler kept creating chances.

The 249-run stand that came before

To understand how remarkable Saqib’s spell was, it helps to remember what Sri Lanka had done before it. Their innings had started badly. On the second day, they lost two wickets for 12 runs: Mohammad Abbas removed opener Pasindu Sooriyabandara for a seven-ball duck, and Saqib dismissed Chandimal for one.

Lahiru Udara and Kamindu Mendis steadied things with a 50-run stand, before Saqib removed Udara for 42 off 52 balls. Kamindu then added 90 runs with de Silva, scoring 58 off 131 balls with eight fours, before Abbas dismissed him to leave Sri Lanka at 155 for four.

That was when de Silva and Kusal Mendis took over. They batted together through most of day three, adding 249 runs and both reaching hundreds. De Silva’s 167 was a patient, disciplined innings. Kusal’s 119 was more attacking, with four sixes. By the close of day three, Sri Lanka were 404 for four, and Pakistan’s bowlers looked tired and out of ideas.

The green pitch, which had offered so little on the third day — Sri Lanka lost only one wicket all day — suddenly came alive on the fourth morning. Seven wickets fell in the first session. The difference was not the pitch alone. It was a bowler bowling at his best, in conditions that suited him, against batsmen who had batted for hours and were perhaps a little less sharp than they had been.

A debut to remember

Saqib’s seven wickets put him in rare company. He became only the fourth Pakistani bowler to take seven wickets in an innings on Test debut. The others were off-spinner Mohammad Nazir, who took seven for 99; fast bowler Mohammad Zahid, who took seven for 66; and leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed, who took seven for 114.

That is a remarkable list to join, and it tells its own story. Three of the four are spinners or bowlers from earlier eras. Saqib is a fast bowler who did it with swing and seam movement, on a morning when his team needed him most.

It is also worth remembering the context of this Pakistan team. This is a new-look side under captain Babar Azam, with several debutants in the series. Three debutants made fifties in Pakistan’s first innings, when the hosts declared at 434 for nine thanks largely to Saud Shakeel’s 93. Saqib’s performance is the latest sign that the new players are not just filling places — they are winning sessions, and potentially matches.

Where the match stands

Pakistan’s second innings began shakily. Asitha Fernando trapped opener Tayyab Arif lbw for 11 off eight balls, leaving Pakistan at 15 for one after 2.2 overs. But Azan Awais and Mohammad Taha steadied the innings, and by lunch Pakistan were 39 for one in 12 overs, with Awais unbeaten on 16 and Taha not out on 12. Their overall lead was 27 runs.

That is not a big lead, but it is a lead — and given where Pakistan were at the start of the day, it feels like a victory. This morning, they were facing a Sri Lanka team that could have batted them out of the match. Now they are ahead, with nine wickets in hand and a pitch that is starting to help the bowlers.

The match is still finely balanced. Pakistan need to bat well in the second innings to set Sri Lanka a target that is hard to chase. Sri Lanka, for their part, will know that they let a strong position slip. A lead of 100 or more would have put real pressure on Pakistan. A lead of 12 does not.

Bad light and rain have already interrupted play in this match, and the weather could still have a say. But if the remaining play goes ahead, Pakistan will feel they have the momentum — and Sri Lanka will feel they have given it away.

What happens next

Pakistan’s priority is simple: bat long, build a lead, and give their bowlers something to defend. With Saqib in this form, and with Abbas and Razaullah to support him, a target of 250 or more would be a serious challenge for Sri Lanka on a wearing pitch.

For Saqib himself, the rest of this match and the series is a chance to show that Thursday morning was not a one-off. Fast bowlers who debut at 31 do not get many second chances, and he has taken his first one with both hands.

The second Test of the series is also scheduled to be played in Rawalpindi, starting on 17 November, after being moved from Lahore because of poor weather. If Saqib keeps bowling like this, he will be one of the first names on the team sheet.

For now, though, one morning is enough. A debutant fast bowler, an overcast sky, two set batsmen, and seven wickets. It was the kind of spell that Test cricket is built on — and the kind of debut that Pakistan fans will remember for a long time.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Saqib Khan?

Saqib Khan is a 31-year-old Pakistani fast bowler who made his Test debut in the first Test against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi in November 2026. He took seven wickets for 130 runs in Sri Lanka’s first innings, including five wickets for 25 runs in a single spell on the fourth morning.

How many wickets did Saqib Khan take on debut?

Saqib took seven wickets for 130 runs in 34 overs in Sri Lanka’s first innings. He dismissed Dhananjaya de Silva (167), Kusal Mendis (119), Sonal Dinusha (20), Lahiru Kumara (0) and Asitha Fernando (4), along with two earlier wickets in the innings.

Who else has taken seven wickets on Test debut for Pakistan?

Before Saqib, only three Pakistanis had taken seven wickets in an innings on Test debut: Mohammad Nazir (7-99), Mohammad Zahid (7-66) and Abrar Ahmed (7-114).

What is the score in the Pakistan vs Sri Lanka first Test?

Pakistan declared their first innings at 434 for nine. Sri Lanka replied with 446 all out, a lead of 12 runs. Pakistan reached 39 for one at lunch on day four of the second innings, an overall lead of 27 runs.

When is the second Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka?

The second Test starts on 17 November 2026. It was moved from Lahore to Rawalpindi because of poor weather, so both Tests of the series are being played at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

Conclusion

Saqib Khan’s seven-wicket haul on debut turned the first Test in Rawalpindi on its head. Sri Lanka went from 404 for four, with two batsmen past a hundred, to 446 all out — and Pakistan went from chasing the match to leading it.

For a 31-year-old fast bowler who waited years for his chance, it was the perfect debut. For Pakistan, it was a reminder that their new-look team has the players to fight back from difficult positions. The match is still to be decided, but the morning of 12 November 2026 already belongs to Saqib Khan.

Sources

This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.

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