Pakistanis will fire all cylinders :

Lankans have it in them to win Test and series

By Elmo RODRIGOPULLE

The Pakistani cricketers, now that they are in danger of losing the Test series, will come out firing all cylinders in a push to win the Test and save face when they confront Sri Lanka in the final Test at the Pallekelle Stadium, beginning today.

Losing a Test match or a Test series is anathema to any team. Especially to the Pakistanis, considering that they convincingly beat the Lankans in desert country last year. If the Pakistanis go back, now that they have lost the one-day series 3-1 and if they were to surrender the Test series, it would be a sad indictment on their game that was on the up and up in recent times.

Microscope

A man under the microscope will be coach Dav Whatmore. Under former Pakistan opening batsman Mohsin Khan who was their coach and ably led by Misbah Ul-Haq, the team jelled as the victories against Sri Lanka and England showed. Losing the series will not go down well with the authorities in Pakistan and questions will be asked. Like in India cricket is religion in Pakistan too and losing is unacceptable and no excuses however good will hold.

In the circumstances Pakistan will go hard at the Sri Lankans as nothing but victory that will suffice. While the batsmen and bowlers have obliged, it is their fielding that has been atrocious.

Butter fingers

Unless they shed their butter fingers and hold on to the catches and also stop shots from sailing to the boundary, their chances of winning will be greatly reduced. True, that dropped catches will not always mean losing, but it can make winning that much more difficult. Batsmen of the calibre of Mohammed Hafeez, Tauseef Umar, Azhar Ali, Misbah Ul –Haq have obliged. Other recognized batsmen must get into the run making act.

Left arm medium fast bowler Junaid Khan has impressed. He bowled cleverly in the SSC Test and should have had more than the five wickets he got. With Umar Gul likely to play, the twosome could worry the early Lankan batting.

The spinners – Saeed Ajmal, Abdur Rehman and Mohammed Hafeez will be hoping that the new ball bowlers will get rid of the early Lankan batsmen and open the gates for them to capitalise.

Off spinner and easily the best spinner in the game today with a variety of deliveries, Saeed Ajmal must be fuming that he has been reported to match referee David Boon for a questionable action.

He could not get even and show what he is capable of on an unresponsive SSC wicket. But in this Test and the Pallekelle wicket being friendly to bowlers, he is sure to hit back at his critics with a vengeance, get among the wickets and silence them.

No letting up

As for the Sri Lankans, Captain Mahela Jayawardene has said

there will be no letting up. He promises a full scale assault, and nothing this side of a victory will satisfy him.

He is a leader who does not believe in playing defensive or looking to draw a game.

He will always be positive and get that approach to rub off on his players. He is one who leads by example and his team mates have rallied round him and given him their 100 per cent and more.

The Lankans are likely to tinker with their team and bring in two new-ball bowlers in Dilhara Fernando and Thissara Perera. They have the pace and movement to trouble Pakistani batsmen.

In the frame

Fernando and Perera are in the frame and their playing will depend after the team selectors have a look at the conditions and the wicket.

The selectors must show daring and give Fernando and Perera a go, keeping in mind that only those who dare win.

Batsmen Tillekeratne Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara who have centuries in each of the Tests in Galle and the SSC must continue the good work. Although he failed at the SSC Mahela Jayawardene is too good a batsman to keep failing.

Opener Tharanga Paranavitarne has it him to come good. He needs to concentrate a lot more. Angelo Matthews and Prasanna Jayawardena must help swell the total.

Left-arm spinner Rangana Herath will have to perform the wicket taking job. A few showers have been falling in and around Pallekelle. But it would not hinder the progress of the final Test match.