Sri Lanka under pressure to maintain form in UAE

Elmo Rodrigopulle reporting from UAE

SHARJAH, Dec. 14. Following Sri Lanka’s exciting win over Pakistan to remain on top of the ICC T20 world rankings on Friday night, focus will now be on the five-match One Day International series between the two teams to be played here from Wednesday.

Following their one-all draw in the T20 series, Sri Lanka will be under tremendous pressure to win the ODI series. The first ODI of the series between Pakistan and Sri Lanka will be played on December 18 at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, followed by the second ODI on December 20 (Friday) at Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The two teams will return to Sharjah on December 22 for the third ODI.

The two teams will then travel to adjoining city of Abu Dhabi for the last two ODI matches to be played at Sheikh Zayed Stadium on December 25 (Christmas Day) and 27. All five matches will be day-night affairs.

It will be a strenuous tour of UAE for the Sri Lanka team which is down to engage in a three-Test series after the fifth and final ODI on December 27.

The three Test matches will be played in Abu Dhabi (Dec. 31 to Jan. 4), Dubai (Jan. 8 – 12) and Sharjah (Jan. 16 to 20).

Pakistan’s T20 captain Mohammed Hafeez said that his side achieved their primary objective of blooding young talent in the two-match Twenty20 series against Sri Lanka, despite having lost the second match by 24 runs.

“We really got what we wanted to out of the series. It’s a positive sign that the youngsters are coming in and doing good for Pakistan. We wanted to see where the youngsters are standing so we can make the right combination for the mega-event.

It will be easier for the selectors. We wanted to inject some of the youngsters and wanted to see them. I think we got the best out of Sharjeel Khan and Bilawal Bhatti. We tried Usman Khan because we didn’t have Umar Gul - he’s trying really hard to get back into international cricket - and we’re also missing Mohammad Irfan, who is unfit,” he said. However, leading Pakistan in the ODI series will be experienced Misbah-ul-Haq.

Never before has a Pakistan attack being slaughtered like what was

seen in Dubai on Friday night. Needing a win to stay top dogs in the World Twenty20 format, inspired the four Lankan batsmen – Kushal Janith Perera, Tillekeratne Dilshan, Seekuge Prasanna and Kumar Sangakkara to make a sumptuous meal of it.

Had the Lankans lost this game, it would have sent them tumbling down and losing their hard won status. They gifted the first game and that defeat was what stung them to maul the Pakistanis in the second game.

Runs flowed like the Maweli in spate as Perera opened the run flood gates bashing Bhatti for a six and a four in over number one. That got the devil out of Dilshan who not wanting to be second best, plundered 16 from one of the overs following.

From then onwards four and sixes cascaded from the four Lankan batsmen and there was nothing that the Pakistan Captain Hafeez, his bowlers ad fielders could do, but watch in amazement and suffer the shame and the slaughter.

‘Sanath Jayasuriya rides again. That was what all saw when Kushal

Perera a clone of former Sri Lankan master blaster began to unwind and heap suffering and shame on the hapless Pakistani bowlers.

Perera and Dilshan slammed exactly 100 in an opening stand in just 71 balls before Dilshan departed two short of another 50 with 8 fours in a 33 ball knock. Then came a surprise when leg spinner Seekkuge Prasanna better known for his tweakers came in one drop. He took over from where Dilshan left and hit 21 in just 8 balls with two big sixes and two fours. It was a revelation and it is hoped that Prasanna will be seen more often in this role.

Perera’s 84 run out was worth going a long way to see. Cuts, hooks, drives, lofted shots that went into the crowd and some improvised strokes were all on display for the wildly cheering Sri Lankan supporters to savour. His magic came off 59 balls with 5 fours and 4 majestic sixes.

Then Kumar Sanmgakkara who was delighted to receive the news that he had been chosen the best one day ICC Batsman of the Year, underlined why it is so as he sailed into the attack to plunder an unbeaten 44 with 4 fours and 2 sixes in 21 balls.

The 211 for 3 was the highest score on this ground and there was no way that Pakistan was going to get that score and win and go top in the Twenty20 format.

The Lankan bowlers Nuwan Kulasekera 2 for 23, Sachitra Senenayake 3 for 27 Prasanna 2 for 45 and Thisara Perera 2 for 36 put the brakes on the Pakistani batsmen and allowed them only 187 in 19.2 overs. Only Sharjeet Khan 50 in 25 balls with 5 fours and 2 sixes, Shoaib Maqsood 15, Shahid Afridi 28, Sohail Tanvir 41 and Saeed Ajmal 20 were allowed to enter double figures.

This win should spur the Lankans to also wrap up the one-day international five match series with the first one beginning on Wednesday in Sharjah. The futility of playing two matches in any type of cricket was once again proved with the two match Twenty20 series ending one-all.