Pak v SL: 2nd Test match

[Maranello]

Originally Posted by Shaka

If he does it here, he'll make both captain and coach very happy as they both love to have him in their side...he's a big team player.

Yes, that he is. He also seems very unruffled, came in at three and started confidently from the go, which one needs in a top order batter...no dithering about!

[Shaka]

Originally Posted by Maranello

Younis has been very good at placing his shots and getting runs, interesting to see how the quick singles (and converting 1s to 2s) work out now that Inzi has replaced Farhat....

Inzi loves batting with Younis so i guess he'll move a bit more smartly than he would otherwise! I've not been a fan of Younis Khan who for me has under-achieved for the last couple of years but I have to say that he batted well in his last ODI and he has been absolutely top class here. His innings has been faultless so far and he's looking more like the Younis Khan of old, very busy and authoritave.

[Maranello]

Originally Posted by Shaka

Inzi loves batting with Younis so i guess he'll move a bit more smartly than he would otherwise!

Care to elaborate? I wasn't aware of their intimacy . . .

[Shaka]

Well they're probably sharing tea and buscuits right now during the break


Tea: Pakistan 214-2 lead by 6 runs

Younis Khan 93*
Inzimam 42*

Younis heading for a well-deserved century and Pakistan set for a big total. We have a LOT of batting to come.

[Maranello]

Originally Posted by Shaka

Pakistan set for a big total. We have a LOT of batting to come.

true...but let's not count our wee chicks before they hatch...

[Shaka]

Triumphant return to test cricket for Younis Khan with a century. The bowling hero of the first test, Dilhara Fernando has come in for a good leathering today, the Pak batsmen have been pretty severe on him so far.

[Milo]

Reminiscent of the series against India a few months back. Typical Pakistan inconsistency.

[Shaka]

Too right. One day they play like a bunch of schoolkids, next they are murdering the opposition...ironically beofre the series started Inzimam said that he was looking for more consistency. Well as Pakistan are notoriously inconsistent I guess it is a form of consistency to keep being inconsistent

[Maranello]

Originally Posted by Milo

Reminiscent of the series against India a few months back. Typical Pakistan inconsistency.

Very true. But having watched both these series in detail, I have to say that we were much better in the first Test vs SL, than we were against India.

Yes, we lost the first test by a big margin, but the match turned on a few key moments, and it was honours even in most of the sessions - we only lost towards the end. And though the batting in Pakistan's first innings was not ideal, some of the guys were also unlucky - to reverse that, we got the rub of the green today...that's the nature of chance, it all evens out eventually!

For instance, in the SL test, Jayasuriya was out caught behind off Shoaib when he was on 9... off a marginal (but correctly called) no-ball. He went on to make a further 244! And the margin of defeat was 201. Sure, Pakistan did not lose because they were unlucky, they lost because they did not take their chances and were below par - however, they were not nearly as bad as it seems on paper.

In comparison, against India, in the first test we were outplayed from the first session onwards and never fully caught up.

[Shaka]

Stumps Day 2: Pakistan 298-4 lead by 90 runs

SL hit back with a couple of late wickets (one being the nightwatchman Riaz Afridi) and Younis finally out for 124. Inzimam and Yoyo will face the new ball tomorrow and SL will be hoping that they can go through a few batsmen with it tomorrow. But Pakistan bat right down to no 10, even Rana is no mug with the bat and I think Sri Lanka are in for another hard day tomorrow and Pakistan would be disappointed if they didn't get a lead of at least 200 in this one.