The SSC was covered with water after the deluge in Colombo

Unseasonally heavy rain wiped out the opening day of the first Test between Sri Lanka and Pakistan in Colombo.

The downpour started just after dawn and was so heavy that the majority of the Sinhalese Sports Club was covered in standing water by mid-morning.

The umpires called off proceedings after a post-lunch inspection, with both teams still at their hotels.

Play will begin 30 minutes early on Monday at 0400 GMT in a bid to recover some of the time lost to the weather.

When the match finally commences, Sri Lanka will be under pressure to perform, having lost the one-day series 2-0.

The home side, who are without their main seam bowler Chaminda Vaas because of injury, are likely to recall former skipper Sanath Jayasuriya to open the batting after he passed a fitness test.

Pakistan have never lost a Test series in Sri Lanka, winning 2-0 on their last visit in 2000, but will be fielding an inexperienced seam attack.

Rana Naved, Mohammad Asif and Umar Gul have played just 16 Tests between them.

Shoaib Akhtar, the world's fastest bowler, is missing from the tour party after surgery on his knees and Mohammad Sami was not selected.

Sri Lanka (from): M Jayawardene (capt), K Sangakkara (wkt), S Jayasuriya, U Tharanga, M Vandort, T Dilshan, T Samaraweera, C Kapugedera, F Maharoof, L Malinga, N Kulasekera, D Fernando, M Muralitharan, M Bandara, S Weerakoon.