So the test series ‘of the summer’ got off to the cracking start we predicted. Today was a day of test cricket. None of that yahoo-tomfoolery white ball stuff. A hard grind, where neither team was ever really on top.
12 wickets
300 runs.
Doesn’t get better than that. Specially in the Sub-C.
Sri Lanka
Are always wobbly against good pace/swing. And today was no different. Warnapura needs to come up with an innings that makes me believe he is a test opener. Right now he is one off side swish away from earning a monumental earful from us.
SL were never really in the game, but they weren’t ever out of it either. The middle order and the lower order showed a lot of fight today. Which is always a good thing. Sangakkara got a good one early.
Paranavitana played an important innings. Sure he was dropped twice but you gotta make the most of it. A century was probably asking for too much. The kid showed guts and he is already looking twice the opener Warnapura is.
Pakistan
Younis Khan is a wily old fella. Read the pitch well. Picked the right combo. Pity their hands turned to butter. Pakistan could have easily had Sri Lanka for under 250. Instead they are looking at 300. On this pitch you would think that is around the par to above average score.
Aamer looks a gem. There were whispers of the new Akram. There are shades but he is only 17. The older and stronger he gets the more tricky he is gonna become. Cant wait.
A lot now depends on Younis, who seems to be in the thick of all Pakistani fortunes these days. A wicket early tommorow and SL will count them selves to be on top.
Splendid will be the big threat. If they can negate him, Herath should not pose too much trouble. It will be case of SL always just being a wicket away from being back in the game tomorrow.
Play of the day.
Pakistan dropped 3-4 catches today. But Akmals drop off Mahela was beauty. It was so straight forward that your grandma woulda cought it sitting on their wheel chair. It was also an important drop. Because the Mahela-Paranavitana partnership put Sri Lanka back on track before lunch.
Akmal we salute you.
Balls of the day
Paranavitana and Aamer share the balls. Although we hope not their own with each other.
Aamer.17.
Wickets in your first over on debut and making King Kumar look like an English county player. Wear those clangers with pride young paduwan.
Paranavitana – its been a rough ride for the young man but today he used his brains and balls to good effect. A good innings up top was desperately needed and he rode his luck to produce solid knock.
Warnapura should be dropped even if he makes 250 in the second innings. He lacks the technique and judging from today the shot selection to make it as a test player. Better to groom a younger opener with better technique. Ideally a right hander too.
The real balls of the day today was Samaraweera.
Well, it’s hard to say as to whether Aamer is actually 17 or not….Younis Khan recently admitted that he’s just 1 year younger than Misbah, who is 35. However, when Younis was told that his Cricinfo profile page mentioned him as being 31, he said that that was false! :O