Early wickets could help us do well - Sangakkara

Former Captain Kumar Sangakkara who faced the media at the end of the third day in the Final Test at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, expressed confidence that if they could get a couple of wickets early, epecially that of Misbah Ul Haq they could do well in the Test.

'I think we played well. If we get a couple of wickets in the morning tomorrow especially Misbah then we would be able to do qute well in the Tests.

'They were pushing for runs today, trying to get as close as possible to our total but the two wickets in the end were very crucial for us.

Commenting on the pitch he said ,Its surprising because there are a lot of rough on the wicket and the real challenege is to exploit that rough, and for our spinners to have a look at where the position of the rough is, and how well they can use it for the unpredictable.

'I think its just the third day so the fourth and fifth day its bound to get worse and more difficult to bat on but anyways scoring is pretty difficult, either way by getting 400 we put ourselves in a pretty good position.

On Rangana bowling outside leg he said: There was rough out there, to try and pitch the ball in the rough. A lot of batsmen do not have the patience.When you bowl those kind of lines and it seems negative when you look at it from the outside, but the plan was quite positive to try and get them to hit against the line, try and get one to turn from off the rough and see whether we can get some thing happening on that track because when you bowl

round the wicket there wasn't much purchase on it because there isn't much rough in line with the stumps so that was basically the plan 'I think Pakistan will have to try and push to get w winning result. Losing 1-0 or 2-0 is going to be the same when you lose the series, so they are going and trying to get the result in the game and our job is to try and hold on to our nerves, absorb the pressure and if we do get a chance to bat again, first of all to ensure that they don't do any more damage run wise, and limit that damage, but also ensure that if we bat again we bat well.

Pitch and bowlers:

'Let's wait and see, if we can tell you exactly it would be easier for us to plan, but I am sorry, look of it on the first day. I

thought that there will be lot more turn than we have seen on the first two days, probably the first day turned a lot more and the top was a bit softer and a heavy roller pretty compacted it and made it a lot better for batting, especially turn wise but let's wait and see DRS against Pakistan? That's how the DRs system works. It can frustrate you at times but those are the prerogatives within which you work and within your reviews are assessed and unfortunately there were a lot of umpires calls and those went against Pakistan. But it would have been the same if we had reviewed Commenting on the difficult pitches: 'See there are different type of wickets, a lot of people have different ideas of what Test cricket should be, what Test cricket

should produce is a great contest, whether its a test of patience and skills of payers when its hard to get runs and its hard to get purchase to see how well the sides adapt to those situations and those are good signs of good test players and on this kind of pitch there maybe wasn't any thing for the fast bowler for the new ball.

'But there was reverse swing there can be a lot more turn in the next two days so we have to wait and see, how it plays well. In the first innings we were under pressure with five wickets down and then then there was rearguard action by Mathews and Prasanna Jayawardene and then Dilruwan Perera and Shaminda Eranga, really put us in the driving seat and it was very interesting first day's play and now its a question of Pakistan really trying to win this game so who knows what the next two days will hold. About the SL pacemen, he said: 'I think its been a revelation, especially Lakmal and Eranga, the way they bowled, the discipline, the fitness they have shown to last three Tests bowling very long spells and I think they have done a fantastic job, prepared well, especially Eranga before coming here and also on this tour worked hard with the bowling coach on this tour and Vassy has done well with them.

'Nuwan , the way he bowled in Dubai, really penetrating in short spells and it was pleasing to see. There are various ways to gauge your fast bowlers, but the most important thing is that they are willing to work hard, bowl long spells for you and in those long spells they are disciplined enough to be number one. cut down runs , hit line and length and take wickets for you. They have done all they can and all you can ask of them as fast bowlers on this tour and I think they are incredible for us, concluded Sangakkara.