Big Picture: Another test for Pakball
Whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do, when they come for you? Bazball, Bazball…
To briefly recap, Pakistan had not won a Test match in 12 months, a period in which they were engulfed by a brand of cricket that can only be described as… woah, sorry dozed off for a minute there… played against a Sri Lanka side that, of late, have had only one way of winning Tests at home – playing exclusively in Galle.
Sri Lanka had no answer. Sure, Jayasuriya picked up some more wickets, but he himself might confess they were the least enjoyable he has ever grabbed in Galle. Pakistan skipped along at four an over for most of the Test, playing genuinely exciting cricket, while fans of both sides were left more than a little bemused as to what they were witnessing.
So here we are looking ahead to the second Test at the SSC, a ground where the trials by spin will presumably be less and one where the batters could conceivably bat even more freely. Pakistan will no doubt be itching to take their new philosophy for another spin, while Sri Lanka will instead focus on the areas they know they need to improve on.
After all, whatever Pakistan’s approach might have been, there is little excuse for the lack of application shown by several of Sri Lanka’s batters, while the disparity in fielding between the two sides might have been the single-most important factor in deciding the first Test.
Form guide
Sri Lanka LWWLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Pakistan WDDLL
In the spotlight: Kusal Mendis and Saud Shakeel
Team news: Asitha Fernando available
Sri Lanka are likely to make one change, with Asitha Fernando back and available having recovered from a bout of dengue fever. Dilshan Madushanka is also an option should Sri Lanka look to add more pace to their line-up.
Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Dimuth Karunaratne (capt), 2 Nishan Madushka, 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Angelo Mathews, 5 Dinesh Chandimal, 6 Dhananjaya de Silva, 7 Sadeera Samarawickrama (wk), 8 Ramesh Mendis, 9 Prabath Jayasuriya, 10 Asitha Fernando, 11 Vishwa Fernando/Kasun Rajitha/Dilshan Madushanka
Pakistan could go in with an unchanged side, though Hasan Ali is available should they opt to go in with an extra seamer.
Pakistan (probable): 1 Abdullah Shafique, 2 Imam-ul-Haq, 3 Shan Masood, 4 Babar Azam (capt), 5 Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), 6 Saud Shakeel, 7 Agha Salman, 8 Noman Ali/Hasan Ali, 9 Naseem Shah, 10 Abrar Ahmed, 11 Shaheen Shah Afridi
Pitch and conditions
The SSC pitch has been known to take some turn on days four and five, but early on will be better for batting. In terms of the weather, unfortunately there’s rain predicted for all five days of the Test, though probably not enough to prevent a result.
Stats and trivia
- This is the first Test being played at the SSC since 2018. Sri Lanka have won three and lost three of their last six Tests at the ground.
