Sri Lanka have the advantage - Dilshan

Muneeb ur Rehman

October 24, 2011

 Dilshan, the Sri Lanka captain, has said that his team have the psychological advantage over Pakistan after salvaging a draw in the first Test when a defeat appeared to be the most likely result. Sri Lanka trailed Pakistan by 81 runs with just five wickets in hand on the fourth day, but Kumar Sangakkara and Prasanna Jayawardene thwarted the hosts with a 201-run stand.

"I think it's [the draw] a huge advantage for us," Dilshan told AFP. "We were well behind in the match and we survived, and since this is a long series we have to come out strongly in each match."

Sri Lanka were in trouble after being bowled out for 197 in their first innings and Dilshan said the Sri Lanka batsmen have to do a better job in the second Test. "We were bowled out for under 200 runs and it was very difficult to come back and win the match. We have to come out strongly in the second Test, especially the first innings, we have to put runs on the board so that this young bowling attack has some confidence while bowling. We can't ask them to bowl with just 200 runs [behind them]."

Dilshan took over as captain from Kumar Sangakkara after the 2011 World Cup and under him Sri Lanka have suffered two 1-0 Test series defeats, away to England and at home to Australia. His own form has been patchy over the same period, and he admitted it was a concern. "Yes, it's a worry but I am sure that I can get runs in the middle order and I look forward to that in the second Test, because five-day cricket needs everyone to perform."

Pakistan let Sri Lanka off the hook in the first Test with a poor performance in the field, dropping six catches in the second innings, but Misbah-ul Haq, the Pakistan captain, said that his team was not deflated by the result. "Slip catching is all about confidence, just like batting. We are really looking forward to doing a lot of practice, and forget the fielding effort in the first match and just go out for a win.

"Nobody's down. The show everybody put up, everyone was focussed, everyone bowling their heart out. We tried everything but in the end you can say luck, or the fielding, you cant do anything about."

The second Test begins on October 26 in Dubai.

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Misbah targets improved fielding

Muneeb ur Rehman

October 22, 2011

Misbah-ul-Haq, the Pakistan captain, has said that his side needs to improve their fielding if they want to win the three-Test series against Sri Lanka. Pakistan dropped six catches in Sri Lanka's second innings, helping the visitors overcome a 314-run first-innings deficit and hang on for a draw.

"The only negative from the Test is our fielding," Misbah said. "Otherwise bowling and batting had so many positives. Pakistan's fielding has improved over time but we need to improve more, like with batting and bowling. We have been for ages on and off in the field, one day outstanding, other days not so.

"But we've focussed and worked hard on this for the last year and a half. The problem still does come up, but we are trying to better it [the fielding]."

Fielding aside, Pakistan had plenty of positives to take from the game. Left-arm fast bowler Junaid Khan picked up career-best figures of 5-38 in just his second Test, helping bowl out Sri Lanka for 197 in their first innings, while opener Taufeeq Umar racked up a double-century.

"We took 20 wickets and lost seven, so it's really a positive sign for our team," Misbah said. "We can work hard on fielding, come in with more confidence and do well in the second Test.

Led by Kumar Sangakkara, who made 211, his eighth double hundred in Tests, Sri Lanka were able to keep Pakistan at bay and save the Test, and Misbah praised their rearguard action. "You always rate Sri Lanka as a top-class cricket team. They made a great comeback, we were expecting that. We were aware that they are going to fight, and full marks to Sangakkara and Prasanna [Jayawardene] who put up a brilliant show."

Pakistan were set 170 to win in 21 overs to but opted not to try and overhaul the target, a tactic that Misbah defended. "Realistically, last day wicket ... Twenty20 is a different ball-game, you have field restrictions, a Powerplay. In a five-day game, no restrictions, you can pack one side and nine-an-over becomes difficult, it was not realistic."

Tillakaratne Dilshan, the Sri Lanka captain, said he was disappointed that Pakistan did not even try to chase their target. "I think it's a huge advantage for us," Dilshan said. "I thought Pakistan would try to go for the target and I am a little unhappy they did not try to go for a win."

Dilshan also praised Sangakkara and Prasanna Jayawardene, who made his fourth Test century and added 201 with Sangakkara in their game-saving stand.

"It was a fantastic partnership. Sangakkara showed his class, played well in the middle and guided Prasanna. I can't ask for more from him. He is a fantastic player and Prasanna played equally well.

"Definitely, I am really happy. The thing is, after the first couple of days we were well behind in the match and even then the body language in fielding and bowling on a flat wicket was great."

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Sangakkara, Prasanna Jayawardene earn draw for SL

The Report by muneeb

October 22, 2011

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Sri Lanka 197 (Mathews 52*, Junaid 5-38) and 483 (Sangakkara 211, P Jayawardene 120, Gul 4-64) drew with Pakistan 511 for 6 dec (Taufeeq 236, Hafeez 75, Ali 70) and 21 for 1

Kumar Sangakkara and Prasanna Jayawardene defied Pakistan for six hours, batting almost till tea on the final day to earn a draw for Sri Lanka. After losing five wickets on the fourth evening while still needing 81 runs to make Pakistan bat again, Sri Lanka benefited from six dropped chances in the second innings. Pakistan's bowlers toiled as much as the heat allowed them to, but their effectiveness was blunted by an unyielding pitch, abysmal catching and resolute batting. Both Sangakkara and Jayawardene achieved personal landmarks, with the former reaching his eighth Test double-century, putting him behind only Don Bradman and Brian Lara.

The sixth-wicket partnership between Sangakkara and Jayawardene - easily the highest for Sri Lanka against Pakistan - ate away whatever advantage remained with Pakistan after yesterday's five dropped chances. Azhar Ali finally ended Pakistan's despair after 73 fruitless overs, trapping Sangakkara leg-before with a legbreak just before tea. Aizaz Cheema had Jayawardene caught behind with the third new ball but it was too late to make up for the largesse of all those missed chances in a match affected by some average umpiring from Tony Hill. Umar Gul cleaned up the tail, leaving Pakistan an improbable 170 to get in 21 overs. Pakistan's top order did not give the slightest impression of going for it, and the game was called off after ten rather pointless overs as Tillakaratne Dilshan let the game meander beyond the start of the final hour.

Sri Lanka could afford to indulge in such psychological banter after Sangakkara and Jayawardene had carried them to safety, the slowness of the pitch allowing them to defend without much trouble. Sangakkara - who had looked near-immoveable after a couple of reprieves yesterday - allowed Jayawardene to take charge, but still put the loose ones away, reaching 200 with a nudge to the fine leg boundary off Cheema in the 143rd over. Jayawardene lofted Ajmal for a straight boundary in the 148th over to bring up a potentially match-saving century after having got a duck in the first innings. Not at any stage did they show even a hint of getting bogged down, unlike batsmen from both teams in the first innings.

Jayawardene, dropped by Wahab Riaz on 11 last evening, was much more positive today, breaking free with a swept boundary when Saeed Ajmal tried to tie him down early with two fielders around square leg. A tiring Junaid Khan - who had kept charging in with energy and going past the outside edge - was pulled emphatically over midwicket.

Pakistan's frustration slowly turned into resignation, a shame given the way they dominated this game for four days, apart from their fielding, which ruined the untiring efforts of their bowlers in the end. As in the first innings, Cheema epitomised Pakistan's willingness to give it everything on a pitch which held up so well in the heat, it could have been good for five more days.

An over from Cheema, the 137th of the innings, told Pakistan's tale of luckless perseverance. After four testing deliveries, Cheema bowled a loopy slow delivery that completely befuddled Jayawardene outside off stump. A ripping reverse-swinging yorker followed but Jayawardene somehow managed to dig it out, almost falling over. The unwavering Cheema was back in his next over with another slower ball followed by another accurate yorker, only to be denied without fuss by Jayawardene. This after Cheema had been denied by umpire Tony Hill after hitting Jayawardene on the pads right after lunch.

Azhar's unexpected strike at the stroke of tea brought relief for Pakistan and they eventually got through the tail with the third new ball but not before Rangana Herath had been grassed by Gul at extra cover, the sixth drop of the innings. Herath stretched the innings till 168 overs, leaving Pakistan to rue their generosity on the field and in hindsight, their cautious approach with the bat in the first innings.

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Sangakkara praises Pakistan's bowlers

muneeb

October 21, 2011

Kumar Sangakkara has said that Pakistan's attack bowled "exceptionally well" on a day when only he stood between Sri Lanka and defeat in the first Test in Abu Dhabi. Sangakkara batted through the fourth day to score 161, whittling the deficit from 267 to 16, as Sri Lanka finished on 298 for 5. Pakistan would have taken several more wickets, though, had their fielders not dropped five catches.

"Pakistan bowled exceptionally well, they used the new ball well. The spinners came on and they also continued to keep the pressure up and that doesn't help," Sangakkara said. "It's a new attack, they got two seniors in [Saeed] Ajmal and [Umar] Gul but it's heartening to see two young bowlers come in.

"Junaid [Khan] used his angles well and used his pace variations well. He bowled in the right areas and that has been a challenge. We have not yet been able to overcome that challenge, but we should do it."

Sangakkara added 153 runs for the second wicket with Lahiru Thirimanne but then watched wickets fall at regular intervals as Sri Lanka lost four batsmen for 80 runs. Sangakkara was also let off twice, off Junaid and Mohammad Hafeez's bowling, and he made his good fortune count by scoring his 26th Test century and his 11th second-innings hundred.

"It would have been nice if I had I got it in the first innings but it was a tough fight and one of my better hundreds," he said. "But there is still work left and if we can get through the first session, we can put some pressure on Pakistan.

"Hundred or 150 [more] would be fantastic, that will also take time away. Let's see tomorrow, first we have to get the morning session out [of the way]. We have to first come out and fight again."

Pakistan opener Taufeeq Umar had ground out a double-century and batted for more than 12 hours in energy-sapping conditions. Sangakkara, however, said the fourth day had not been as bad.

"It was pretty alright, the weather was much cooler than the first day, the breeze helped you keep cool and wicket was flat, so I was just making sure we made few mistakes," he said. "I feel fantastic and great, once you bat and do the hard work it's great and there is more to be done."

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Pakistan thwarted by Sangakkara, dropped chances

 

The Report by MUNEEB UR REHMAN

October 21, 2011

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Sri Lanka 298 for 5 (Sangakkara 161*, Thirimanne 68) and 197 trail Pakistan 511 for 6 dec by 16 runs

Five dropped catches and four wickets summed up a profligate day for Pakistan, on which their bowlers toiled to create numerous chances only for their fielders - led by Mohammad Hafeez - to spill them. Kumar Sangakkara's fighting century was the only positive for Sri Lanka, and his continued presence their only hope of saving the match.

The bowlers created pressure and some panic but Sri Lanka emerged relatively unscathed, with Sangakkara and Pakistan's fielders taking the match into a fifth day. After four catches had gone down during a 153-run second-wicket partnership that was beginning to hurt Pakistan, they were given an opening via Lahiru Thirimanne's suicidal attempt at a second run. Thirimanne and Sangakkara had survived for more than 50 overs; Sri Lanka then lost three batsmen in little over ten, before an astonishing fifth let-off kept them afloat.

Saeed Ajmal and Junaid Khan, who had both been denied by the slippery hands of Hafeez, took the fielders out of the equation, bowling Mahela Jayawardene and Tillakaratne Dilshan respectively for single-digit scores. An inside edge off an attempted cut against an offbreak accounted for Jayawardene while Dilshan drove loosely at one that sneaked through the gap between bat and pad.

It was a characteristic burst from Pakistan after a period of frenzy before lunch when their fielding fell apart in a rush of squandered catches. It allowed Thirimanne and Sangakkara to survive a testing first session as the bowlers were let down three times by Hafeez, including twice off successive deliveries from Junaid.

On a pitch that did not offer much even on the fourth day, the bowlers gave Sri Lanka a hard time, producing false shots, going past the outside edge and hitting the pads. The batsmen countered in their own ways, Thirimanne using the sweep to ward off Ajmal, Sangakkara playing straight, and nudging and cutting when the opportunities came.

Junaid produced the first real chance off the last ball of the 27th over when he induced Thirimanne to edge an attempted drive. It went low to first slip where Hafeez grabbed at the ball and grassed it. Hafeez was to deny Junaid and reprieve Thirimanne again, off the next delivery. If anything, this one was easier. Thirimanne had another escape as lunch approached, when he cut Ajmal straight to the gully fielder, who backed away and was hit on the body. It was Hafeez yet again.

Junaid was to suffer a third time when Younis Khan was unsure whether he had taken Sangakkara's edge cleanly after diving forward at second slip. Younis let off Sangakkara once again before lunch, on 56, dropping a tough diving chance at slip off, ironically, Hafeez.

Thirimanne could not capitalise on the good fortune but Sangakkara continued to resist, even as wickets fell. He used the abundant short deliveries to cut and steer for boundaries on the off side and kept nudging and clipping for runs on the leg. Pakistan fed his strengths throughout the day. Sangakkara looted 81 off 42 deliveries square on the off side and another 51 off 33 square on the leg. Yet another cut shot to the point boundary off Junaid earned him his 11th second-innings Test century, off 173 deliveries.

Angelo Mathews could not reprise his first-innings salvage effort, though. Umar Gul - who hadn't bowled after sending down four overs in the morning - trapped him leg-before off the first delivery with the second new ball, after having got Tharanga Paranavitana right away with the first last evening.

Almost inevitably, Pakistan's fielding came to haunt them again as substitute fielder Wahab Riaz put down a mistimed pull by Prasanna Jayawardene off a disgusted Gul. Jayawardene was also fortunate to get away with a close leg-before shout against Junaid but by the end, he had frustrated Pakistan along with Sangakkara for 125 deliveries.

With Sangakkara's effort beginning to rival Taufeeq Umar's first-innings marathon, Pakistan had no one to blame but themselves for what could have been.

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Marvan Atapattu hopeful of saving Test

Srilanka have an enormous challenge ahead of them to save the first Test against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi, but their batting coach Marvan Atapattu has said his team can do it. Sri Lanka trail by 267 with nine wickets in hand in their second innings and two days to go.

"We really have to bat well in the second innings and I am sure the boys will do their best to save this match," Atapattu said.

Sri Lanka conceded a first-innings lead of 314 after they were dismissed for 197 and Pakistan replied with 511 for 6 declared. Atapattu said the opportunity had been lost with the first-innings collapse.

"I feel that we missed an opportunity. It's certainly not a 200-pitch and we all accept that," he said. "We were at least short by a good 100 runs. The outfield is not fast by any means and the wicket wasn't a batting-friendly wicket for a start. I wouldn't say it was two-paced but there was something there for bowlers who were ready to bend their backs."

"It's hard conditions, tough conditions. Obviously, we knew what we were against, but we weren't at our best. Tomorrow will be a new day and hopefully the ones who missed out will have a good day tomorrow."

One batsmen who thrived in these tough conditions was Pakistan opener Taufeeq Umar, whose 12-hour double-century set-up Pakistan's push towards victory. His 236 was the first double-hundred by a Pakistan opener since Aamer Sohail's 205 at Old Trafford in 1992.

"It was my burning desire to score a Test double-hundred," Taufeeq said. "I am delighted to hear that I am in an illustrious company of Hanif [Mohammad] and Sohail. It was very hot, but I kept telling myself that my team needed me to stay and I achieved that to put my team in a strong position."

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Pakistan ride on Taufeeq double-century

October 20, 2011

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Sri Lanka 47 for 1 and 197 trail Pakistan 511 for 6 dec (Taufeeq 236, Hafeez 75, Azhar 70) by 267 runs

Twelve hours of monkish accumulation in the Abu Dhabi heat earned Taufeeq Umar only the seventh double-century by a Pakistan opener, and the first since 1992. It also left a tired Sri Lanka waiting for a declaration as Pakistan's batsmen, barring Misbah-ul-Haq, favoured accumulation over urgency. Misbah finally relented about an hour before close of play, after the lead was 314, leaving the Sri Lanka openers a testing period to survive.

Sri Lanka's day got worse when umpire Tony Hill, who is having a rough game, harshly adjudged Tharanga Paranavitana leg-before first ball. Several close shaves against the new ball followed, which was the last thing Sri Lanka needed after Taufeeq had ground them out of the match.

Taufeeq went through three contrasting partnerships on the third day: he collected runs without risk with Younis Khan, stepped back as Misbah attacked the bowlers and finally took charge when Asad Shafiq - coming in at 436 for 4 - remained stuck on 1 for 30 deliveries.

As is often the case in sagas of self-denial, there wasn't a particular Taufeeq stroke that stood out. What did was the way he got his runs - dabbing and steering when he could have indulged in a cut, stepping out to clip and drive when he could have lofted, nudging when he could have flicked. He patted away numerous half-volleys and scored less than a third of his runs in boundaries. He ran 90 singles, 21 twos and 10 threes in the sapping heat.

There were also outside edges that did not carry, inside edges that missed the stumps and a let-off soon after Taufeeq had reached his century yesterday, but in an innings that spanned close to 500 deliveries, it was almost par for the course. Taufeeq continued to pull with zest throughout, showing that nine successive sessions on the field had not diminished his effort.

With Taufeeq's patience at one end, Misbah brought the urgency the innings had begun to scream for before umpire Tony Hill ruled him caught behind, his third big error of the game.

After Chanaka Welegedara had accounted for Azhar Ali in the seventh over of the morning, Taufeeq and Younis ensured Sri Lanka's relief was temporary with a stand that had a sense of inevitability in the resolute manner it was built. Welegedara tested Pakistan in the morning, getting nip off the surface and swing in the air. A ripping inswinger uprooted Azhar's off stump. It was the tenth time Azhar had failed to convert a half-century into a Test hundred.

Apart from that, and a couple of edges and mis-hits that didn't carry to the fielders, Pakistan carried on unbothered, though they did not really dominate. Taufeeq and Younis hardly took any risks. Younis benefited from a dropped catch by Prasanna Jayawardene off Tillakaratne Dilshan when on 16 but was handed a marginal leg-before decision by umpire Rod Tucker. It was again Welegedara who earned the breakthrough with a delivery that straightened a little.

Younis' departure quickened proceedings considerably. With a mixture of slog-sweeps, a late cut and a reverse-sweep, Misbah chugged along at close to run-a-ball. Even Rangana Herath, who had troubled Pakistan the most, was reduced to bowling in the rough outside leg stump from over the wicket. The line got rid of Misbah just before tea, though the ball had only brushed his sleeve before being taken by Prasanna Jayawardene. Taufeeq was again left to push on with another new batsman for company.

This time, Taufeeq was forced to be the aggressor, with Shafiq refusing to score till a message from the dressing room forced him to look for some runs. Even then, he managed 26 from 94 and ultimately ran out Taufeeq, ironically refusing a sharp single to a man who had been on the field for all three days.

That was the only way the immoveable Taufeeq could have got out, but not before Sri Lanka had been deflated. Their nightmare was complete when Paranavitana went immediately. Kumar Sangakkara and Lahiru Thirimanne were positive, though, as they got through 11 overs without further damage.

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