History is on Pakistan’s side, the momentum with Sri Lanka and the recent form of both uncertain. You could not ask for more going into the deciding match of the ODI series, to be played on Saturday in Lahore

Osman Samiuddin in Lahore23-Jan-2009
Mahela Jayawardene: “For us, winning a trophy itself is enough motivation to go into the game tomorrow.” © AFP
History is on Pakistan’s side, the momentum with Sri Lanka and the recent form of both uncertain. You could not ask for more going into the deciding match of a series.Somehow, since 2003, a period in which Pakistan have been particularly unreliable, they have consistently had the wood over Sri Lanka. It is strange, given that the visitors have prospered more than they have failed in that period, but it gives the rivalry, and the decider, a proper feel of a local derby. Anything and everything is to be expected after the peaks and troughs both teams touched on successive days in Karachi.Sri Lanka will no doubt be the happier stepping out at the Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday. Their batsmen finally made some runs in the second ODI in Karachi – 290 was the first time they went beyond 227 since the Asia Cup last year – and Tillakaratne Dilshan has looked better than the makeshift opener he is supposed to be.More than the six wickets that Ajantha Mendis and Muttiah Muralitharan took in that win, it is the batting which will give Mahela Jayawardene hope. All through their recent patchy form, the bowling department, well-served in both spin and pace, has bailed them out. Jayawardene has maintained throughout the tour that the batting just needs to click since the bowling essentially takes care of itself.”It was a much better batting performance,” said Jayawardene. “But we still made mistakes and there were six guys who took starts but never really finished off the job. So there’s definitely room for improvement. Whoever gets a start needs to carry through.”They’ve been on the road for some time now and still a heavy schedule awaits them on their return, but the thoughts of another trophy is enough. For us, winning a trophy itself is enough motivation to go into the game tomorrow.””I know it’s a big game. We’ve been out of Sri Lanka for almost six weeks. We’ve been in Bangladesh where we aimed to win two trophies and we did that. We came here to win another one and are another game away from it, so it’s enough motivation to go into the game tomorrow.”Pakistan will not be entirely despondent either, though they could have done without more public evidence of their complete inability to deal with Shoaib Akhtar in any coherent manner. Having laid down a bold marker in thinking of an immediate and long-term future without Shoaib, captain Shoaib Malik immediately made a U-turn and disowned those very statements.
The president of the country is a daily reminder that, save the dead, anyone and everyone can rise again in Pakistan, but Saturday may well be the first day of a Shoaib-less future. © AFP
But Shoaib is still unlikely to play and backtracking or not, tomorrow marks a significant moment. The president of the country is a daily reminder that, save the dead, anyone and everyone can rise again in Pakistan, but Saturday may well be the first day of a Shoaib-less future.Playing four pacemen is a bold idea, unnaturally so for Malik, and it is a policy that should be given another go, perhaps with Sohail Khan in place. However, they could really do with Sohail Tanvir rediscovering the nip, swing, nous and form of last year.They will also be keen to see Mendis and Murali misfiring again. Despite the wickets in the last game, Pakistan will be relatively happy with the way they have handled the pair so far. Runs have been picked off the duo, rather than snatched, and the low total in the second game was mostly the result of a top-order mishap against pace.”They have the best spinning attack in the world whether they are playing in the subcontinent or outside it especially if they make above 250,” said Malik. “If we bat first, we must put on 270 runs on the board so that our bowlers have something to defend. I don’t think the spin attack is a threat to us as such. Against good players plans are made. Wasim Akram used to plan and say ‘play a good bowler for four an over and don’t give them any wickets’.”So the equation, according to Malik, is a simple one. If you bat first, make over 270. If you don’t, restrict them to less than 250. It’s an easy game, but as he has learnt over the last 18 months or so, not that easy.