Ground staff remove rain water from the pitch during the third day of the first Test cricket match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi on December 13, 2019. Photo: AFP RAWALPINDI: Wet weather delayed the start of play between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi on Friday, the first Test in the country since a deadly attack in 2009.Groundsmen were soaking the outfield and wiping water from the covers, with the third day's play unlikely to start until lunch at 11:45am.Rain and bad light halted play for all but 83 minutes on Thursday, during which Sri Lanka added 43 runs in 18.2 overs before stumps were drawn.Sri Lanka, who won the toss and batted, were 263-6 in their first innings with Dhananjaya de Silva unbeaten on 72 and Dilruwan Perera on two.For Pakistan, 16-year-old paceman Naseem Shah (2-75) and Shaheen Shah Afridi (2-47) were the pick of the bowlers.De Silva, who added 67 for the sixth wicket with Dickwella, survived a scare on 48 when Mohammad Rizwan leapt forward to claim a catch off Naseem Shah but replays confirmed the ball had bounced before reaching the wicketkeeper.The right-hander brought up his fifty on the next delivery when he clipped Naseem for two runs to the leg side.The conditions have put a dampener on the long-awaited return to Test cricket in Pakistan, following the 2009 attack on Sri Lanka's team bus that left eight people dead and several players and officials wounded.
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