COLOMBO: Pakistan will look to make use of their newfound batting aggression to double up in opposition to Sri Lanka within the second Take a look at beginning Monday, after securing their first long-format victory for a 12 months. The guests arrived in Sri Lanka and not using a Take a look at win to their title in 12 months however regardless of a wobbly final-innings chase a four-wicket victory in Galle means they want solely a attract Colombo to win the two-match sequence. A decided effort to lift their run price with a extra optimistic method paid dividends, scoring at greater than 4.5 per over for a lot of their first innings and placing the Sri Lankan bowlers below stress. It’s an method that has echoes of England’s new “Bazball” type.
The primary hundred of Saud Shakeel’s double century got here off simply 129 balls, his 177-run partnership with Agha Salman laying the inspiration for Pakistan’s 149-run first innings lead. After the final Take a look at cycle, Pakistan’s administration was “very agency” that one of many causes they weren’t profitable matches was that “we weren’t scoring at such a excessive price because the opposition,” Shan Masood stated. There had been a “concentrated effort” at pre-tour coaching camps in Lahore and Karachi, he added. “The emphasis was on scoring runs simply to type of put the opposition below stress,” stated Masood, who scored 39 off 30 balls within the first innings in Galle. “That has put us again within the sport.”
Pakistan could need to embrace one other seamer because the Singhalese Sports activities Membership observe is understood to supply bounce and motion, however should take into account whether or not to make modifications to a profitable aspect. Sri Lanka should enhance if they’re to win the match and draw the sequence. Aside from Dhananjaya de Silva – who made 122 and 82 – their batsmen did not ship in Galle, lots of them stepping into the 20s and 30s however not constructing on their begins. The hosts will probably be eager to have Asitha Fernando again within the aspect forward of Kasun Rajitha, who took 1-77 in 19 first-innings overs and was not known as on in Pakistan’s second innings.
Fernando needed to sit out the primary Take a look at, recovering from dengue fever. Sri Lanka’s catching was poor – Shakeel was dropped on 93 and 139 – and so they admitted losing a number of of their opinions. Dimuth Karunaratne acknowledged invoking DRS was his name as captain however stated he made his choices “primarily based on the suggestions from the bowler and wicket-keeper.” “The misjudging of opinions is a loss for the workforce and may be essential throughout a decent sport,” he stated. “We should concentrate on making the appropriate use of opinions and what may very well be completed otherwise.” Sri Lanka have gained 20 of the 43 Exams performed at SSC and misplaced solely 9, together with the latest Take a look at it hosted, in opposition to England 5 years in the past. Pakistan have performed there on six events and have a one win, one loss file with the remainder drawn.
Squads:
Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Dimuth Karunaratne (capt), 2 Nishan Madushka, three Kusal Mendis, Four Angelo Mathews, 5 Dinesh Chandimal, 6 Dhananjaya de Silva, 7 Sadeera Samarawickrama (wk), eight Ramesh Mendis, 9 Prabath Jayasuriya, 10 Asitha Fernando, 11 Vishwa Fernando/Kasun Rajitha/Dilshan Madushanka
Pakistan (possible): 1 Abdullah Shafique, 2 Imam-ul-Haq, three Shan Masood, Four Babar Azam (capt), 5 Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), 6 Saud Shakeel, 7 Agha Salman, eight Noman Ali/Hasan Ali, 9 Naseem Shah, 10 Abrar Ahmed, 11 Shaheen Shah Afridi.