Pakistan will hope to turn things around when they play Sri Lanka in the third ODI of the five-match series at Colombo.
After a dominating show in the second one-dayer, Sri Lanka have posed themselves as real contenders to give Pakistan a real challenge in the five-match ODI series. The two teams will square off against each once again on Wednesday in Colombo with the series currently level at 1-1.
The win on Saturday was a thoroughly deserving one for Sri Lanka as they outdid Pakistan in all departments of the game. Tillakaratne Dilshan’s return to form was a welcome sigh of relief for the team management as well as for himself. Upul Tharanga is also likely to continue as his partner as Mahela Jayawardene, the captain, suggested their aim to move the batting line up around to test their abilities.
Jayawardene himself scored a well-paced half-century and has little to worry about though Kumar Sangakkara has been out of form off late. Thissara Perera has come across as a revelation for the hosts, with his six-wicket haul being pivotal in the team’s success in the last match.
He has also received the full backing of his coach who sees Perera as a regular test player in the future.
For Pakistan, very little went right for them as they were ordinary in all departments of the game. The bowlers were disappointing and the fielders were shocking as many chances went by without any real success.
The only note of success was Azhar Ali’s 96-run knock, though the slow pace towards the end of his innings increased the pressure on the incoming batsmen. Captain Misbah ul Haq will be hoping for better results from his players as they look to edge ahead in the ODIs.
Shahid Afridi had an off day but will be crucial to the team’s chances in Colombo. The issue is that while his bowling is excellent, his batting has usually left a lot to the desire.
The action moves to Colombo for the final three ODIs. The day-night match gets underway at 2.30pm local time.