Congratulations to Team Pakistan on winning the second Test. The triumph in the end turned out to be pretty emphatic with Sangakarra’s dismissal early on the fourth day proving to be critical. By the time you read this, the Test series would be winding down to its finish and hopefully Pakistan will emerge victorious from that as well.
The Test series is to be followed by five ODI’s and a single T20. Going by its recent form, Pakistan would have to be slight favourites. Under the leadership of Misbah ul Haq, Pakistan have looked stable and united and this has transpired into series wins against Zimbabwe, the West Indies and the Black Caps. The same cannot be said about the Sri Lankan camp though. Their performances under Tillekaratne Dilshan have been anything but overwhelming. Winless in Tests, defeats against England and Australia in ODI’s means Pakistan will be facing a side lacking direction and confidence.
That said, the Lankans are a dogged outfit as evident from the Tests and must not be taken lightly.
Afridi and team harmony: Both teams have announced their squads and predictably the return of the charismatic underperformer, Shahid Afridi has dominated the discussions. Afridi is likely to waltz back into the starting eleven but this could come at the cost of upsetting the balance and more importantly the harmony of the team. Depending on the composition of the team, the number 6 spot is most likely going to be up for grabs with the trio of Afridi, Malik and Razzaq fighting it out.
Another Pathan who is likely to feature but shouldn’t is Younus Khan. Limited overs cricket has never been Younus’s forte and at 34, Pakistan should be looking to blood in talented youngsters like Asad Shafiq, who are perhaps more suited to the demands of the shorter format. Mohammad Ilyas, the acting chief selector, is perhaps the only one who is likely to offer any reason (illogical most likely) for the inclusion of his son-in-law Imran Farhat. The rest of us are just as confused. Wahab Riaz is the most notable absentee. Rumour has it that he’s been overlooked due to his alleged involvement in the spot-fixing scandal but even in his absence, Pakistan are likely to field a strong bowling attack spearheaded by Gul and backed up by the cunning Saeed Ajmal and the promising southpaw Junaid.
Return of Lankan bowling teeth: Sri Lanka meanwhile will be buoyed by the return of Malinga and Dilhara Fernando. The Lankan fans will be hoping that these two can provide the cutting edge that has been missing from the bowling attack during the Test series. Suraj Randiv and Jeevan Mendis will provide backup in the form of spin. The form of Jayawardene is a slight worry but that aside, Sri Lanka holds a formidable batting line up bolstered by the return of Upul Tharanga. Fielding is one department where Sri Lanka has a definite edge over Pakistan and their ability to save 15-20 runs may well turn out to be crucial.
One would expect the pitches to be flat with plenty of runs to offer and much hard work for the bowlers. With the sides evenly matched, the most interesting battle will be between the two captains. The recent change in rules has necessitated the need for flexible and proactive leadership; teams can now no longer wait till the 45th over for the batting power play to be thrust upon them or rely on their spinners in the middle overs to stifle the innings. The subcontinental outfits over the years have relied on their wily spinners especially in the middle overs but the new rule where two balls will be used from each end means that spinners who tend to enjoy the older and softer ball will have to quickly adapt to bowling with a relatively newer ball. The art of reverse swing is also likely to suffer reinforcing the notion that cricket is no longer an even battle between bat and ball. In the light of these little subplots it will be particularly engrossing how both sides approach the series in terms of tactics. All said and done, it is fair to say that we will be in for an evenly contested and keenly fought battle.
