Test win

Pakistan's four-wicket Test triumph against Sri Lanka on Thursday is Babar Azam and company's first win in the red-ball format in 365 days. This in itself is enough cause for celebration. But there are several other reasons why this particular victory has come as a welcome result for the Pakistani side, which has been terribly out of sorts in the longest format of the game in recent times. The match at Galle, Sri Lanka's Test citadel, was Pakistan's first in the new ICC World Test Championship cycle and the win gives them 12 points. This is a great start for a team that failed to live up to expectations on home soil against visiting England and New Zealand teams and didn't even come close to reaching the final of the previous edition of the World Test Championship.

This time Pakistan seem to have the firepower that can help them reach the title clash of the current World Test Championship. Batters like Saud Shakeel, who hit a match-winning 208 in Galle, have raised hopes of Pakistan's Test revival. Back in 2016, Pakistan rose to No 1 Test ranking for the first time with the then skipper Misbah-ul-Haq receiving the ICC Test Mace. Since then, Pakistan have failed to perform well in Tests. But all of that should change. With the prolific Babar Azam at the helm and pacers like Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah at their prime, Pakistan should emulate the Tests successes achieved under Misbah.

The first target for Pakistan should be to ensure that they sign off the ongoing two-Test series against Sri Lanka with another win in the second and final match in Colombo. They should capitalize on the momentum and go for the kill. A 2-0 series triumph away from home will give them a perfect start to their Test Championship campaign. Though this is a World Cup year and Pakistan will soon be shifting their focus on winning the 50-over title in India later this year, they should not ignore the red-ball format. The team's think tank should prepare and implement a concrete plan to get the best out of the team in the Test format. Pakistan are yet to reach the World Test Championship final – something that needs to change. The national team needs to show more consistency which is very much possible if players like Saud Shakeel continue giving their best.