After the rain-affected first clash, Pakistan and Sri Lanka will again lock horns in the second and final Test of the series at the National Stadium in Karachi. The match will commence on December 19 and a lot will be in stakes for both the sides. The winner of the upcoming game will also lift the trophy and both the sides must leave no stones unturned to get the result in their favour. Players like Babar Azam, Abid Ali and Dhananjaya de Silva, who came good in the first match will again have the onus to put up a match-defining performance and guide their side over the line. Below, we'll look at the key players to watch out for in the Karachi encounter. Pakistan Vs Sri Lanka, Cricket Score 2nd Test Match.

Test cricket didn't make a great comeback on Pakistan land as the opening match of the series was majorly dominated by rain and subsequently ended in a draw. Nevertheless, fans will want to witness a full-fledged encounter in the forthcoming game. Both sides will also have an eye on the ICC World Test Championship points table where the Lankans are currently placed in the third spot while Pakistani occupy the sixth position. Meanwhile, let's look at the players who can come good in the 2nd Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Test. Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Head-to-Head Record in Tests.

Babar Azam

Ali wasn't the only Pakistani who reached the three-figure mark in the first match. Babar Azam also scored his century which saw his breaking through the top-10 rankings of Test batsmen. The right-handed batsman has been in great form throughout the year and thus will seek to put on a significant performance in Pakistan's last international match of 2019.

Abid Ali

The opening encounter of the series saw the first batsman to score a century both on ODI and Test debut. Well, the name is Abid Ali and the right-handed batsman will look to break some more records. Ali has a fantastic first-class record in Pakistan and it certainly came handy in Rawalpindi. So, one can another good performance from the opener and the Lankans must vary off him too.

Dhananjaya de Silva

The Lankan all-rounder looked in great knick in Rawalpindi as he scored a magnificent ton and will eye to continue his rich vein of form. Silva was particularly brilliant against the hosts' pace attack and was unbeaten till the end. One can't also rule out his ability with the ball in the hand and the visitors will bank on him to guide them to a historic victory.

Lahiru Kumara

The right-arm wasn't able to leave a significant impact in the previous clash and got only one wicket. However, Kumar certainly possesses the ability to set the speed gun on fire and will look to run through Pakistan's batting line-up in Karachi. However, going through the defences of Azhar Ali and Babar Azam will certainly not be easy. So, the speedster will have to be to at his best.

Naseem Shah

The young Pakistani pacer bowled with hostility in the opening game and never let the batsmen take a sigh of relief. Shah scalped two wickets in the match and could have added more in his tally if the rain wouldn't have interfered. Nevertheless, the teenage pace sensation again has a golden chance to bowl a blistering spell and guide the host to the series triumph.

Keeping the conditions and crowd support in mind, one might give an edge to Pakistan to take the match away. However, Sri Lanka thrashed South Africa 2-0 in their own backyard in their first Test assignment this year and will not mind in ending the year on a winning note too.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 18, 2019 03:24 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).