SL vs PAK ... 1st test match

[fair_&_balance]

How come no one is talking about this exciting test match.

Looks like exciting 3 days on card. After a long gap Pakistani fast bowler showed what they are capable of doing but their batsmen made mockery of their effort.

[Nick]

Sri Lanka seem to have fought their way into a winning position (currently 153/2 in second innings, a lead of 132). Not bad after being 9/3 in first innings, and a rebuff to those who say they are no good away from home.

[Mike Small]

Sri Lanka never have been nor unless something very melodramatic happens will be a threatenning team away from home, they some how manage to win tests Pakistan (which needless to say tells you more about Pakistan's inconsistency rather than Sri Lanka's strengths away from home) but I can't for once remember them winning anything of note in England, West Indies, South Africa, New Zealand or Australia, not even India for that matter.

[fair_&_balance]

Good comeback by Pakistani Bolwers today morning.If they can restrict SL below 350 then they will have a realistic target to chase and they can win. Great Inning by Jaysurya 178 (more than 50% of total) and still going.

[Shaka]

Originally Posted by Mike Small

Sri Lanka never have been nor unless something very melodramatic happens will be a threatenning team away from home, they some how manage to win tests Pakistan (which needless to say tells you more about Pakistan's inconsistency rather than Sri Lanka's strengths away from home)

Absolutely right Mike. Sri Lankan bowling is successful in Pakistan only because Pakistani batsmen have not been particularly good players of spin bowling for a while now. Inzimam and Youhanna are streets ahead of the rest in this regard.

Pakistan have picked up 5 wickets for 65 runs this morning which is a good comeback but as Sri Lanka are heading for a lead of at least 350 odds on they are going to win as Pak have never chased down a total of that size in their history. In fact they've only ever score more than 300 batting last 4 times in their history which is incredible.

[Rachael]

What an innings from Jayasuria: 254 of 347 balls to add to his 38 off 147 in the first innings. The veteran has certainly taken the fight to the opposition.

Runs are surely irrelevent for Pakistan now: it's about grit, adhesiveness, charachter, application and the like.

Time to see who, in this much vaunted batting line-up, is prepared to show they actually deserve to be a Test match cricketer by batting with the sort of resolve that would be shown by Mike Atherton, Mark Richardson, Gary Kirsten, Nasser Hussain or Steve Waugh.. and who is just going to show themselves up as a prima donna, only intereting in the glamorous run scoring side of things that the teams looks for when it is on top and all is going well.

Any predictions as to which batsmen will stand up and be counted?

[R W S]

A great day for Sri Lanka and Dilhara Fernando. Putting on a ninth wicket stand of 102 with Jayasuriya whilst contributing only ONE run must be some sort of record! And then ripping out the Pakistan top order with 4/27 off 9 overs.

Good work fella

[Nikhil]

Wow. That's some performace by Fernando, and what an inning by Jaysuriya.

Now he certainly has taken the game away from Pakistan. A couple of unbelievable innings can only save Pakistan now. I don't see them coming though.
Hard luck for the Pakistani bowlers who put such a good performance in the first inning only for the batsmen to let the good work go down the drain, with some really bad shot selection.

[fair_&_balance]

Originally Posted by Shaka

Absolutely right Mike. Sri Lankan bowling is successful in Pakistan only because Pakistani batsmen have not been particularly good players of spin bowling for a while now. Inzimam and Youhanna are streets ahead of the rest in this regard.

.

Correct analysis but what is intriguing is that this time it is fast bowlers who are doing the damage. One would have thought that Pakistan would have beaten Murali-less-SriLanka at home easily. but alas !!!!!

[Shaka]

I'll be interested to read Inzimam's comments after this game, I think the game was lost by Pakistan on day 2 where on a perfectly good batting pitch batsman after batsman tossed away their wicket with careless strokeplay and rash shot selection. A great bowling performance was undermined by such a negligent attitude and Pakistan's batting line up looked very immature against the Sri Lankans who 2nd innings especially scrapped for every run.

Credit also has to go to Fernando who produced a spell of bowling which broke the back of the Pakistan top order after Vaas and Tilanga had been easily seen off. Late swing and movement at a useful pace this spell was by far the best of the match by either side so I would credit him for the success in the 2nd innings rather than blame the batsmen who were found wanting more in the 1st innings.