Pak v SL, 2nd test, day 3

Pakistan

Wow.  There aren’t really any words to describe their cricket at the moment. Saying Pakistan is unpredictable has become predictable.  A batting collapse will now be renamed to ‘doing a Pakistan’. This phrase has  also been known as ‘doing an England’ in test cricket history.

For centuries England and Pakistan have battled ownership for that term.

Pakistan are winning it by miles at the moment.

Pakistans last 3 test innings have resulted in the following collapses

2nd Innings Galle : 9 for 78

1st innings PSS: 10 for 90

2nd innings PSS: 9-35

If you are a Pakistani fan that is more than enough to want to commit suicide or some sort of other attrocity.

Their problem lies in the fact that their batting depends on two people. Mohomad Yousuf and Younus Khan. Their openers are not really openers. There is no experience in those positions and the players playing in those roles are batting out of position.

Malik, Akmal, Misbah have done nothing with the experience they have. Neither 3 can be relied upon to step up when it counts.

Maybe it is the fact that they are not used to the pressures of test match cricket after being without it for so long.The batting line up seems to lack the skill to counter swing and spin. Which is pretty much 90% of the battle.

So many people called the 3rd day collapse a moment of madness. That is wrong. It was just another episode in the Jeckle and Hyde act Pakistan had been doing ever since they landed in SL.

Sri Lanka

It took 23 years to earn a test series win over Pakistan in SL, but it has been worth the wait. Although you have to ask your self how this team would have fared against Anwar,Sohail, Waquar, Wasim and Mushi?

At lunch on day 3, SL could not have been further from a even entertaining thoughts of  a win. One might even question whether they were thinking at all in that morning session.

Pakistan were allowed to cruise. Sangakakra let the game roll on without trying anything different or putting pressure on the batsmen. There just way too many easy singles been given away and a better team would have punished Sri Lanka more.

The only time he did try something different was when he got Younus wicket. For too long we have watched Mahela do the same thing. Allowing the game to drift and letting the opposition get on top. It seems Mahelas defensive streak has found its way to Sangakkara as well.

But Sangakkara is a shrewd thinker. Giving the new ball to herath against Moyo was a calculated decision. Herath would get more bounce and the ball would be skidding on. Plus Moyo doesn’t seem to read his straighter ball, plus it was immediately after a break.

And just like in Galle Herath didn’t let his team and Captain down.

From then on Carnage. In Galle it was Thushara, in Colombo it was Kulesekara. How can you not love this little dude. He gives it everything he can muster up from the feeble frame of his. And his inswingers were too hot for Pakistan.

After watching so many straight balls in Cardiff  this was a sexy reminder of what the red ball can do.

Mendis. Rubbish again. Needs to be dropped for the last test.

So Sri Lanka won the test series in 7 days flat. But it is safe to say Pakistan had a large helping hand in that.

Play of the day

The Herath and Kulesekara show. 9-35. Series win. It doesnt come any better.

Balls of the day

Alam. He’s not an opener but he showed he can be if he wanted to. True he is a bit weird with all that muttering to himself. But without his innings Pakistan might have lost by an innings.

On debut too. We like.

Sangakkara throwing the new ball to Herath was pretty ballsy too.