2nd Test: Sri Lanka v Pakistan at Colombo (SSC), 14 August 2014

**Come on Guys, Lets try to make 14 August memorable :jhanda:
**You can level the series InshaAllah

2nd Test: Sri Lanka v Pakistan at Colombo (SSC)
Aug 14-18, 2014 (10:00 local | 04:30 GMT | 08:30 GST)

Sri Lanka v Pakistan, 2nd Test, SSC’Have to be on our toes every session’ - MisbahUmar Farooq
August 13, 2014
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[TD=“class: stryPicCptn”]Misbah-ul-Haq wasn’t worried about Pakistan’s struggle for wickets in Galle, and said the conditions were extremely batting-friendly © AFP

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Players/Officials: Misbah-ul-Haq
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Misbah-ul-Haq has said Pakistan are ready to square off against Sri Lanka and insisted that his team is capable of bouncing back hard. Pakistan haven’t won a series since beating England 3-0 in the UAE in 2012 and after the Galle defeat last week are facing another winless series.
“We did play well [in Galle] but we weren’t consistent,” Misbah said at the pre-match press conference in Colombo. “We played well in patches and lacked the consistency in every department so what we are going to do is to ensure we are on our toes in every session. Our batsmen did score runs in the first innings and are still in form and in good shape. There are things that need to be improved and we will ensure that we will go hard to pull this one our way.”
In Sharjah earlier this year Pakistan, who were trailing 1-0 in the three-match series, came back hard to beat Sri Lanka and square the series 1-1. Pakistan are looking to repeat that here, by starting the Test afresh and forgetting the result of the first Test. “Every game is a new game regardless what happened in the previous game so we are looking forward to win this one to level the series,” Misbah said.
“We obviously need to improve in every department as there is always room for it. We are concentrating on the present and forget what was in the past, whether it was good or bad, because after all we have a new day ahead with a new game that will be entirely different. I think this time we will ensure that we are on the money throughout the game.”
Mahela Jayawardene will retire from Test cricket after the second Test at the SSC, where he has scored 2863 runs in 26 Tests, the most by any batsman at a single ground. He averages 77.37 with 11 hundreds, including his highest score of 374 against South Africa in 2006. His record against Pakistan isn’t dazzling but Pakistan are still wary of him.
“Plan against Jayawardene is simple,” Misbah said. “Get him out as soon as possible and spoil their party. But at the same time we know how good he can be at his home ground. He is a class player and particularly at his own ground he is a different man. He has scored ample runs and he could be dangerous, so as a team we obviously would want to take him down.”
Pakistan are traditionally known for their bowling strength but the attack struggled to take wickets at Galle. Misbah admitted this played some part in their defeat but wasn’t too concerned. “We shouldn’t blame our bowlers as it is about the conditions, as it happens when you have purely batting conditions. And Sri Lanka are well aware of their home conditions and similarly the conditions in UAE are quite close, so this is the reason I think when you are playing in the hands of batsmen and the bowlers struggle.”
In Galle, Misbah underbowled left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman, who only sent down 39 overs in the first innings compared to 59.1 from Saeed Ajmal. Rehman didn’t bowl at all in Sri Lanka’s second innings. “There is no particular reason or strategy not to bowl with Rehman,” Misbah said. “It is all about when a team is already doing well with one of their best bowlers so we have to go with it. He wasn’t at his best of rhythm so that is the only reason I didn’t bowl him otherwise he is a very good bowler.”

Re: 2nd Test: Sri Lanka v Pakistan at Colombo (SSC), 14 August 2014

Sri Lanka v Pakistan, 2nd Test, ColomboPakistan hope to spoil Jayawardene’s farewellThe Preview by Karthik Krishnaswamy
August 13, 2014
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Match facts
August 14-18, 2014
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[TD=“class: stryPicCptn”]Galle decked itself up to bid farewell to Mahela Jayawardene, and his home ground, the SSC, will no doubt do the same © ESPNcricinfo Ltd

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Teams: Pakistan | Sri Lanka

Big Picture
The umbrellas went up in Galle almost as soon as Angelo Mathews had swatted away the winning runs for Sri Lanka. Making their way back to the dressing room as the drizzle intensified, Pakistan’s players must have wondered how on earth they lost the Test match after scoring 451 in the first innings. Whether it was their Test-match rustiness or an outcome of over-caution in their second innings, Pakistan simply didn’t maintain their standard of play over five days. Against a team as buoyant as Mathews’ Sri Lanka, you cannot afford to do that.Over the following days, Pakistan’s spirits were further dampened by news of Saeed Ajmal being reported for a suspect action. It is a cliche that Pakistan are at their most dangerous when they have their backs to the wall, but Misbah-ul-Haq’s team will have to believe in that old cornered tigers line as it tries to square the series at the SSC. After a quietly impressive climb up the Test rankings under Misbah, Pakistan are in danger of dropping from third to sixth if they lose the series.
Beating this Sri Lankan side, at a notoriously difficult venue for wicket-taking, will be a difficult ask. More so when they face a team that will want to give its most-capped player a fitting farewell at his favourite venue. Mahela Jayawardene will play his 149th and final Test match, and Sri Lankan cricket will never quite be the same again without those silken drives and late cuts from their No. 4.
While filling the Mahela-shaped hole will be a headache in the long-term, Sri Lanka aren’t without more immediate issues to sort out. The opening combination isn’t yet settled, and a recall for Dimuth Karunaratne suggests the team management aren’t quite convinced by Upul Tharanga. All three of their first-choice fast bowlers are battling one niggle or another, and a new-ball combination of Dhammika Prasad and Chanaka Welegedara - if Shaminda Eranga can’t recover fully from an inflamed hip - doesn’t look the most convincing, on paper.
Pakistan’s batsmen will need to put pressure on Sri Lanka’s bowlers, and not let Rangana Herath in particular get on top of them. There is a growing feeling among followers of Pakistan cricket that the formula that led to the team’s rise under Misbah - of cautious batting and run-strangling by spin - is in need of change, and that the natural style of their younger batsmen such as Ahmed Shehzad should be given more space to express itself. A flat batting track and an injury-hit attack will afford Pakistan the opportunity to try and appease their fans. Whether they do so or not remains to be seen.
Form guide
(last five matches, most recent first)
Sri Lanka WDLWD
Pakistan LWLDLIn the spotlight
It is fitting that Mahela Jayawardene’s final Test match was moved from the P Sara Oval to the Sinhalese Sports Club, where he has scored more runs than anyone else has at any other ground in the known universe. He has scored 11 centuries at the SSC in 26 Tests, and nothing in his recent form suggests he won’t finish off with another, for old times’ sake.He will play the second Test, but it remains to be seen what Saeed Ajmal’s state of mind will be, having beenreported for a suspect action after the first Test. Pakistan will desperately want his action cleared when he undergoes testing, but before that will want him at his best at the SSC if they have any chance of squaring the series. Judging by the disparity between Ajmal’s figures in Galle - 5 for 195 in 65.1 overs - and those of the rest of the attack - 7 for 418 in 114.2 overs - Pakistan’s bowling will look a lot less threatening without its banker-cum-magician.
Teams news
Sri Lanka could make up to three changes, mostly due to fitness concerns. Eranga is a doubtful starter with a hip injury, and left-armer Welegedara is likely to take his place. Kithuruwan Vithanage has a finger injury, and Lahiru Thirimanne could come in for him if he isn’t fit enough to play. Sri Lanka also recalled opener Dimuth Karunaratnein the lead-up, and he could come in for Upul Tharanga, who has been inconsistent since his return to the Test side.
Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Dimuth Karunaratne/Upul Tharanga, 2 Kaushal Silva, 3 Kumar Sangakkara, 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Angelo Mathews (capt), 6 Kithuruwan Vithanage/Lahiru Thirimanne, 7 Niroshan Dickwella (wk), 8 Dilruwan Perera, 9 Dhammika Prasad, 10 Rangana Herath, 11 Shaminda Eranga/Chanaka Welegedara
Pakistan’s batting fell away on the fifth day in Galle, and it was a collective failure after a promising display in the first innings. It’s unlikely there will be too many changes, but Shan Masood could replace the inconsistent Khurram Manzoor at the top of the order.
Pakistan (probable): 1 Khurram Manzoor/Shan Masood, 2 Ahmed Shehzad, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Younis Khan, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), 6 Asad Shafiq, 7 Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), 8 Abdur Rehman, 9 Mohammad Talha, 10 Saeed Ajmal, 11 Junaid Khan
Pitch and conditions
The pitch at the SSC is expected to be hard but quite flat, with Mathews saying that he expected less help for the spinners than it had provided during the Test match against South Africa late last month. It has been raining quite frequently in Colombo, mostly at night, and the weather could eat into playing time, just as it did against South Africa.Stats and trivia

  • Mahela Jayawardene needs 137 runs to finish with 3000 runs at the SSC

  • Rangana Herath needs four wickets to reach 250 in Test matches, while fellow left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman needs four to reach 100Quotes
    “If you take the last five or six games that we’ve played, we’ve played some really good cricket and it went down to the last over more often than not. We’ve been playing pretty good cricket.”
    Angelo Mathews on Sri Lanka’s recent run of thrilling Test finishes
    “Every game is a new game regardless of what happened in the previous game so we are looking forward to win this one to level the series and spoil Mahela’s party.”
    Misbah-ul-Haq reckons Pakistan can recover from their first-Test loss

Re: 2nd Test: Sri Lanka v Pakistan at Colombo (SSC), 14 August 2014

Pakistan hoping to spoil Jaya's farewell by surrendering the match in 3 days instead of 5.

Re: 2nd Test: Sri Lanka v Pakistan at Colombo (SSC), 14 August 2014

TeamMisbah !

Re: 2nd Test: Sri Lanka v Pakistan at Colombo (SSC), 14 August 2014

is MisbaaH aiming for a draw when he says, "we gonna 'bounce back'"? :D

Re: 2nd Test: Sri Lanka v Pakistan at Colombo (SSC), 14 August 2014

Every batting failure can't be taken lightly like Misbah has done. He and his men fail to learn from their previous failures. That is the reason Pakistani fans do not expect anything out of the ordinary from them anymore. Just like any other institution in Pakistan cricket is pretty much ruined.

Re: 2nd Test: Sri Lanka v Pakistan at Colombo (SSC), 14 August 2014

It is not Misbah's fault if the other parchi-walay youngsters in the team can't perform.

Where are Sohaib Maqsood, Sharjeel Khan, etc and why is ahmed shehzad still in the team??

Re: 2nd Test: Sri Lanka v Pakistan at Colombo (SSC), 14 August 2014

An uphill task for Pakistan to square the series because I don't think that the present team can bat any better than they did in the first innings at Galle ... and they still lost the game!!! 450 was beyond our wildest dreams after a familiar pathetic start (56/3). YK rescued us but as it turned out his efforts were all in vain. Fielding esp. the catching was bad as usual and the bowling not incisive enough.

Batting vulnerability always gives the other teams a chance

Ajmal might bowl within his limits (esp. his doosra might not be so effective) knowing that someone within ICC could be monitoring his action live (that is if they do have the technology!)

Not to mention Lankans will be pumped up for Mahela's farewell test

Re: 2nd Test: Sri Lanka v Pakistan at Colombo (SSC), 14 August 2014

They have to play it like there is no tomorrow. Cant relax for even one session.

Re: 2nd Test: Sri Lanka v Pakistan at Colombo (SSC), 14 August 2014

SL won the toss ans elected top bat.

162/2

Re: 2nd Test: Sri Lanka v Pakistan at Colombo (SSC), 14 August 2014

32.5
Junaid Khan to Silva, OUT, here's the first one! The classic ploy. A bouncer followed by a fuller one. Well, it wasn't exactly full, more like on a length.. But what did Silva here was the slight away movement. He was pushing from the crease anyway, without getting forward, and gets a thick edge to the keeper. Superb stuff there by the bowler
JK Silva c †Sarfraz Ahmed b Junaid Khan 41 (106b 6x4 0x6) SR: 38.67
*Sri Lanka 79/1 * WU Tharanga 34* (93b 3x4) ** **Junaid Khan 9.5-2-26-1


47.5
Wahab Riaz to Sangakkara, OUT, bowled him! All those bouncers, followed by a full-length ball that snaked in extremely late to dip into the gap between bat and pad and crash into the top of off stump, after a bit of a deflection off the back thigh. Super bowling. They check for a no-ball, and he's juust about landed his heel behind the crease
KC Sangakkara b Wahab Riaz 22 (45b 2x4 0x6) SR: 48.88
*Sri Lanka 144/2 * WU Tharanga 71* (140b 10x4) ** Wahab Riaz 10.5-1-44-1******

54.6
Saeed Ajmal to Jayawardene, OUT, HE'S GONE! Sharp turn again from outside off, but the length was the key here, and Mahela was caught on the crease as the ball rapped his front pad just in line with off stump, I think. The umpire's finger went up immediately. Hawkeye suggests it's flicking the leg bail
DPMD Jayawardene lbw b Saeed Ajmal 4 (16b 0x4 0x6) SR: 25.00
*Sri Lanka 167/3 * WU Tharanga 86* (167b 12x4) ** Saeed Ajmal 18-3-44-1******

59.3
Wahab Riaz to Tharanga, OUT, what a catch! *It was angled into the pads, and Tharanga flicked that, he middled that flick, and Azhar Ali reacts like a flash to grab that while falling to his right. Didn't have too far to move, but he had no time to get his hands in position. Ah. It lodged in his midriff, but still, had to react quickly to make sure it didn't slip out
*
WU Tharanga c Azhar Ali b Wahab Riaz 92 (179b 12x4 0x6) SR: 51.39****
***Sri Lanka 177/4 * AD Mathews 4* (15b) ** Wahab Riaz 12.3-2-49-2********

Re: 2nd Test: Sri Lanka v Pakistan at Colombo (SSC), 14 August 2014

Come on guys :clap: short pitch deliveries and yorkers will do the trick :jhanda:

Re: 2nd Test: Sri Lanka v Pakistan at Colombo (SSC), 14 August 2014

Getride of the pair quickly, don't allow them to get settle

Re: 2nd Test: Sri Lanka v Pakistan at Colombo (SSC), 14 August 2014

Come one Misbah, be grown up, you should continue with one pacer from other end.

202/4

Re: 2nd Test: Sri Lanka v Pakistan at Colombo (SSC), 14 August 2014

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Mahela Jayawardene was given a guard of honour by the Pakistan team

Re: 2nd Test: Sri Lanka v Pakistan at Colombo (SSC), 14 August 2014

Catches win matches and drop catch in Test :nahi:

72.6
Junaid Khan to Thirimanne, FOUR, dropped! That definitely left Thirimanne, who poked uncertainly outside off, and the outside edge went low to the right of first slip but definitely carried. He got his right hand to it but couldn’t grab on, and the ball ran away to the boundary

Re: 2nd Test: Sri Lanka v Pakistan at Colombo (SSC), 14 August 2014

here we go Juni :jhanda:

74.3
Junaid Khan to Thirimanne, OUT, edged, and this time it’s a straightforward catch to the keeper. It was back of a length, just outside off, and it straightened a touch. That one ball that came back in has been playing on Thirimanne’s mind, perhaps, and he hung his bat out and got a tickle through to Sarfraz
HDRL Thirimanne c †Sarfraz Ahmed b Junaid Khan 20 (50b 2x4 0x6) SR: 40.00

Re: 2nd Test: Sri Lanka v Pakistan at Colombo (SSC), 14 August 2014

I know you have failed in bating but try to catch at least :emmy:

The fielder who dropped Thirimanne at slip was Khurram Manzoor

Re: 2nd Test: Sri Lanka v Pakistan at Colombo (SSC), 14 August 2014

We should get them out today. Mathews is the key

Re: 2nd Test: Sri Lanka v Pakistan at Colombo (SSC), 14 August 2014

Bring Back Wahab from other end