Sri Lanka vs Pakistan 3 Test Series: Sri Lanka Win Series 1-0

1st Test: Sri Lanka Won By 208 Runs

Sri Lanka-472 & 136/5

Pakistan-100 & 300

2nd Test: Match Drawn

Pakistan-551/6 dec & 100/2 dec

Sri Lanka-491 & 86/2

3rd Test: Match Drawn

Pakistan-226 & 380/8 dec

Sri Lanka-337 & 195/4

Sri Lanka Win The 3 Test Series 1-0.

Read More...

Sri Lanka vs Pakistan 3rd Test: Scorecard

MATCH SUMMARY

PAKISTAN (1ST INNINGS)	226
Asad Shafiq-75	Perera-4/63
Misbah ul Haq-40	Herath-3/40
Taufeeq Umar-29	Kulasekara-2/44
Adnan Akmal-24	Mathews-1/20

SRI LANKA (1ST INNINGS)	337
Perera-75	Junaid Khan-5/70
Paranavitana-75	Ajmal-3/66
Samaraweera-73	Md. Sami-1/69
Kulasekara-33	Umar Gul-1/90

PAKISTAN (2ND INNINGS)	380/8 dec
Azhar Ali-136	Herath-4/99
Asad Shafiq-100*	Fernando-3/74
Md. Hafeez-52	Kulasekara-1/65
Adnan Akmal-35*

SRI LANKA (2ND INNINGS)	195/4
Sangakkara-74*	Ajmal-3/50
Chandimal-65	Junaid Khan-1/45
Paranavitana-22
Jayawardene-11

Match Drawn

Read More...

Sri Lanka vs Pakistan 3rd Test: Perform Or Perish Game For Pakistan

Sri Lanka will take on Pakistan in the 3rd and Final Test Match at Palllekele on Sunday. Sri Lanka currently lead the series 1-0 with 1 game ending in a draw. Sri Lanka will desperately try and win the series 2-0 and deny Pakistan the chance of  levelling the series. On the other hand, Pakistan have got no other option but to give it their all and win this test match to square the series. Its a do-or-die situatuion for Pakistan.

Sri Lanka will be the favourites in this game as their top order is in excellent form, especially Dilshan and Sangakkara. Sangakkara has notched up 2 scores of 190+ in the first 2 Test Matches and is currently No.1 in the list of Test Batsmen. Sri Lanka will once again be fielding the combination of 7 batsmen, 2 pacers and 2 spinners in this game. Kulasekara has troubled all the Pakistan batsmen with his swing. Herath will be the trump card with the ball as far as Sri Lanka are concerned. So, its not going to be any easy for the Pakistani batsmen in this test. Thisara Perera is expected to play this game in place of Nuwan Pradeep.

Pakistan showed some spark in the last test and will look to carry on the good form. The knocks from Hafeez and Azhar Ali would have certainly boosted the morale of the side. These two will once again be the men to watch out for. Misbah's return helped the team a lot and he along with Younis Khan will provide the much needed experience in the middle order. Saeed Ajmal is expected to be the lone spinner in the Pakistan ranks. Umar Gul and Md. Sami might replace Abdur Rehman and Aizaz Cheema in the Playing XI. So, be ready to witness a grinding game of Test Match Cricket at Pallekele.

The match is scheduled to start at 4.30 GMT (10.00 Local Time).

Read More...

SRI LANKA vs PAKISTAN 5th ODI: Sri Lanka Clinch A Thriller To Conquer The Series

It was party time at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo when Angelo Mathews clobbered a four off Md.Sami and guided his team to a fabulous victory in the 5th and final ODI. Sri Lanka won the match by 2 wickets and also the series 3-1. It was a gutsy knock of 80* by Angelo Mathews in just 76 balls that helped Sri Lanka reach the target of 248 with just 2 balls to spare. Angelo Mathews won the Man Of The Match Award for his unbeaten 80.

Earlier, Pakistan won the toss and decided to bat first. Pakistan needed to win this one to level the series and their hopes were on Hafeez and Imran Farhat to provide them a good start. Farhat was playing his first match in the series because Younis Khan was dropped from the side. Another surprising selection was that of Md.Sami in place of Saeed Ajmal. Farhat and Hafeez struggled early on. Hafeez fell for just 6 to a peach of a delivery by Nuwan Kulasekara. Azhar Ali was the next man in and he has been in tremendous form with the bat in the recent past. Imran Farhat unleashed himself on to the scene and reached his 50 in just 56 balls. But he was out soon after to Perera for 56.

Asad Shafiq and Azhar Ali were now batting in full flow, mixing caution with aggression. Jeewan Mendis was then introduced into the attack and he responded soon by getting the wicket of Azhar Ali. Asad Shafiq continued to carry on in his merry way and hit boundaries consistently. It required a brilliant piece of fielding by Thirimanne to get rid of Shafiq for 38. The late impetus was provided by Misbah ul Haq and Umar Akmal, who scored heavily in the batting powerplay. Pakistan finally ended up on 247/7 in 50 overs with Umar Akmal finishing on 55 not out in 61 balls. Jeewan Mendis took 2/30.

Sri Lanka had a tall order in front of them and needed to bat well because chasing 248 is a tough job under the lights in Colombo. Sri Lanka got off to a disastrous start, losing both Dilshan and Tharanga cheaply. Both were bowled by Tanvir. Sangakkara and Chandimal began the repair job and took the game forward. Sangakkara was looking elegant at the crease, playing some delightful shots off the pacers. Sri Lanka were 97/2 when Shahid Afridi struck double blow, dismissing both Sangakkara and Jayawardene on successive deliveries. Dinesh Chandimal too fell soon after scoring a well compiled 50. Thisara Perera was promoted up in the batting order ahead of Thirimanne to hit some big shots. But he was run out for a duck.

The scoreboard read 137/6 and Sri Lanka still needed 111 runs to win. Angelo Mathews was rotating the strike well and also scoring the occasional boundary. Jeewan Mendis proved to be the game changer when he smacked 2 fours and 1 six in the 44th and 45th over. But his innings was cut short for 19 by Tanvir. In the meanwhile, Mathews reached his 50 and was waiting for the right time to launch. The match came down to the last over with Sri Lanka needing 15 in 6 balls. Sami was given the ball by Misbah. The first ball was a wide, followed by a 2. 12 were needed in 5 balls when Mathews tonked Sami straight over his head for 6. The match was now in Sri Lanka's hands. Mathews sealed the victory with a 2 and a 4 of the next to balls. Mathews once again proved to be the hero with 80*. Sri Lanka won the match by 2 wickets and the series 3-1.

PAKISTAN-247/7 (50)

Imran Farhat-56 (63)

Umar Akmal-55* (61)

Asad Shafiq-38 (46)

Misbah ul Haq-32 (48)

Azhar Ali-30 (49)

SRI LANKA-248/8 (49.4)

Mathews-80* (76)

Chandimal-54 (74)

Sagakkara-40 (68)

Tanvir-3/42

Afridi-2/48

Read More...

SL vs PAK 5th ODI:Desperate Pakistan Look To Level The Series

Pakistan are down and out after the 44 run loss to Sri Lanka in the 4th ODI and need to win the 5th ODI today to square the series. Currently Sri Lanka lead the series 2-1 with just 1 match left to be played. They made an unbelievable comeback in the last match, thanks to Thisira Perera's hat-trick. Sri Lanka will be giving it their all to win the series today. The Colombo wicket will also assist the Sri Lankans more than the Pakistanis because of the kind of variety that Sri Lanka have got in their bowling attack. But no one could count out Pakistan as they know that it is a do or die situation for them.

Sri Lanka certainly hold an edge over Pakistan as far as the batting department is concerned. The trio of Dilshan, Sangakkara and Jayawardene are in good touch with the bat and are winning Sri Lanka matches. Pakistan batsmen have been far too inconsistent for their own liking. Apart from Azhar Ali and Misbah ul Haq, no other batsman has been able to make a mark in this series. The likes of Hafeez, Umar Akmal and Afridi have been disappointing with the bat so far and need to fire today in order to level the series.

Sri Lanka and Pakistan are evenly balanced in the bowling department, with a good mixture of seam and spin. But Pakistan are a lot more spin oriented compared to Sri Lanka and it will be interesting to see which of the two bowling attacks would come up on top. Tanvir has been very impressive since his comeback and has bowled superbly both with the new and the old ball. He along with Saeed Ajmal will be the trump card with the ball for Pakistan. Sri Lankan bowlers have been the main cause of their two victories in the series and once again Mahela Jayawardene will be banking upon Malinga and Perera to destroy the Pakistan top order.

The match is sheduled to start at 9 GMT (2.30 pm Local Time).

POWERPLAYERS

SRI LANKA-Jayawardene, Dilshan, Sangakkara, Malinga, Perera.

PAKISTAN-Misbah, Afridi, Ajmal, Tanvir, Azhar Ali.

Read More...

SL vs PAK 4th ODI:Pakistan Collapse To Another Defeat

Pakistan are an unpredictable side and once again they proved it right on Saturday night as they collapsed to another deafeat in the series.  

Mahela Jayawardene won the toss and decided to bat first on the flat Colombo wicket. Tharanga was the opening partner for Dilshan and both began their innings cautiously. Upul Tharanga once again failed with the bat and was out for just 4 in the 4th over. The scoreboard read just 9 runs when Kumar Sangakkara joined Dilshan at the crease. Pakistan seamers Gul and Tanvir bowled a tight line and length and did not allow Sri Lanka to get of to a flier. Dilshan was struggling with his timing and was unable to find the gaps too. 

His uneasy stay at the wicket finally came to an end for 24. Dinesh Chandimal too did not score too many and was out for 18. Sri Lanka were 90/3 at this stage and were looking in a spot of bother. The "Big Two" Sangakkara and Jayawardene began the repair job for Sri Lanka and played steadily. Sri Lanka got the much needed momentum in the batting powerplay as they scored 49 runs in that period. Sangakkara and Jayawardene put on 110 runs for the 4th wicket before Jayawardene's stumps were rattled by Tanvir for 40. 

Sangakkara followed him soon and fell agonisingly 3 runs short of what would have been a classical 100. He was caught brilliantly in the deep by Azhar Ali off Saeed Ajmal. Sri Lanka finally finished on 243/8 in their 50 overs. Tanvir, Hafeez and Ajmal took 2 wickets each for Pakistan.

Pakistan needed to bat intelligently to get to the score of  244. Hafeez opened the innings with Azhar Ali, but failed to add on to the score as he was dismissed for a duck by Malinga. Asad Shafiq was the next man in and there was big responsibility on the shoulders of these two youngsters. 

They played slowly in the beginning and put on 53 for the 2nd wicket. Weerakoon struck for Sri Lanka and trapped Shafiq plumb in front for 25. Skipper Misbah ul Haq was looking in fine form and punished the Sri Lankan bowlers the moment they strayed in line. Azhar Ali also started to gather runs quickly and reached his 50 in 95 balls. 

Misbah too reached that landmark soon after. Pakistan were 166/2 in the 38th over and it looked as if they will get to the target easily. It needed an unbelievable catch by Kulasekara to get rid of Misbah for 57 and it ended the 113 run stand between him and Azhar Ali. This resulted in a collapse as Thisira Perera took the first hat-trick of his career and dismissed Younis Khan, Shahid Afridi and Sarfaraz Ahmed in successive deliveries. Azhar Ali continued to fight on at the other end but no one could support him from the other end. Pakistan finally folded up for 199 in 45 overs. Azhar Ali finished on 81 not out in 124 balls. 6 Pakistan batsmen were out for 0 and they lost by 44 runs. Sri Lanka now lead the series 2-1 with the 5th and final ODI to be played on Monday.

SRI LANKA-243/8 (50)

Sangakkara-97

Jayawardene-40

Tanvir-2/43

PAKISTAN-199 (45)

Azhar Ali-81*

Misbah-57

Perera-4/42

SRI LANKA WON BY 44 RUNS

Read More...

SRI LANKA vs PAKISTAN 4th ODI:Match Preview

The ODI Series between Sri Lanka and Pakistan could not have been better poised as these two Asian Giants meet in the 4th ODI of the 5 Match Series at Colombo. The series is tied at 1-1 with the 3rd ODI being washed out due to rain. Weather forecasts say that there are fair chances of rain today as well in Colombo and this match too could be spoiled due to the Rain Gods. The match is scheduled to start at 2.30 pm Local Time.

Sri Lanka got their act together in the last two games in all the three departments and will like to continue in the same fashion. Captain Mahela Jayawardene is back in form with the bat as he scored a belligerent 53 in the 2nd ODI. He has lead the side well in since he was given back the captaincy in February this year and Sri Lanka have only improved as a team since then. Tillakaratne Dilshan is going to be the key man along with Kumar Sangakkara. Sangakkara needs to get back into form as early as possible because he is a man that can play well against any attack in adverse conditions. The Colombo pitch promises to be a good track to bat on in the first innings and will slow down as the game progresses. The Sri Lankan spinners will play a crucial role and Malinga along with Kulasekara would try to get some early breakthroughs.

Pakistan have adjusted to the slow Sri Lankan wickets very well and are playing some seriously good cricket under Misbah ul Haq. Pakistan will be going all guns blazing today because they know that the team which loses today's game will lose the chance of winning the series. Pakistan began the series on a good note but played poorly in the last two games. They would be desperately trying hard to get back some winning momentum behind them by winning today's clash. Shahid Afridi will be the man that Pakistan will be hoping to fire with the bat and the ball as he did in the T20 Series. Md.Hafeez, Umar Akmal and Misbah ul Haq will hold the key with the bat and one of them will have to play deep into the innings. Saeed Ajmal has bowled fantastically so far in the series especially at the death. Umar Gul and Sohail Tanvir will be opening the bowling with the new ball with Md. Sami being the other seam bowling option.

POWERPLAYERS

SRI LANKA-Dilshan, Sangakkara, Jayawardene, Perera, Malinga.

PAKISTAN-Hafeez, Misbah, Afridi, Ajmal, Tanvir.

Read More...

SL vs PAK 3rd ODI:Match Abandoned Due To Rain

Rain played spoilsport in the 3rd ODI between Sri Lanka and Pakistan in Colombo on Wednesday. It was a crucial match in context of the series, but the Rain Gods had other ideas and just 6.2 overs of play was possible in the match. Pakistan were batting first and they again got off to a poor start losing Md. Hafeez early. Hafeez was out for a duck when he edged one into the safe hands of Kumar Sangakkara and Malinga was the wicket taker in this case. Azhar Ali played a steady knock of 96 in the 2nd ODI and once again there were high expectations from him. But Nuwan Kulasekara cut his innings short for just 7 when he trapped him in front of the stumps. Pakistan were tottering 12/2 in 6.2 overs when rain came down and no further play was possible in the day. At about 8p.m Local Time, the umpires decided to abandon the match. The series is still tied at 1-1 with two ODI's remaining. The next match is scheduled to be played on Saturday.

PAK-12/2 (6.2)

Hafeez-0

Azhar Ali-7

Shafiq-5*

Misbah-0*

Read More...

SL vs PAK 3rd ODI:Pakistan Look To Fight Back

Pakistan will be going head to head against Sri Lanka in the 3rd ODI of the 5 match series at Colombo. The series is currently tied at 1-1 and both teams would like to win the 3rd ODI and go 1 up in the series because whoever loses this game will have two win the remaining two games, which is surely going to be a tough job. Both the ODI's were one sided and there was no competition. The Colombo track will assist the spinners in the second half and whichever team wins the toss will look to bat first here. The match will start at 2.30 pm Local Time.

Sri Lanka will be starting as hot favourites for the game because they are the home side and will look to sieze the advantage. Thet made a terrific comeback in the 2nd ODI to beat Pakistan by 76 runs and level the series. Once again, their hopes will be on T. Dilshan to take them to a big score and counter attack the Pakistan bowling line up. Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene will be the other two big guns that the Lankans will be hoping to fire. Jayawardene found some form in the last game, but Sangakkara is still struggling to get his touch back. Chandimal, Thirimanne and Mathews have promised a lot with the bat in the recent past and Thisira Perera could not be counted off either. Perera hit a purple patch with the ball in the 2nd ODI and bagged the Man Of The Match title too. The bowling will be spearheaded by Lasith Malinga with Nuwan Kulasekara being his new ball partner. Rangana Herath is expected to be the lone spinner in the Playing XI for Sri Lanka.

Pakistan began the tournament in grand fashion by comfortably winning the first ODI, but failed to keep up the good work in the next game. They are an unpredictable side and no one could count them out. Misbah ul Haq has been leading the side very well and has been smart in his decisions. Pakistan's strength lies in their bowling department and Saeed Ajmal has been at his best in the series so far. The return of pacers Md. Sami and Sohail Tanvir has boosted the side too. The batting will rest on the shoulders of Misbah, Hafeez and Umar Akmal. Azhar Ali played a gritty knock of 96 in the last game and has caught the eye of every one. But the trump card for Pakistan is going to "Boom Boom" Shahid Afridi because he is a match winner with both the bat and the ball. So, be ready to witness the battle on Wednesday afternoon because it is surely going to be one to watch out.

Read More...

SL vs PAK 2nd ODI:Perera Pounds Pakistan in Pallekele

It was the Perera show all the way at Pallekele and Pakistan were searching for answers for Perera's brilliant performance with the bat and ball. He provided the much needed momentum to the Sri Lankan innings in the end as he hammered a quick fire unbeaten 24 in just 14 deliveries and also destroyed the Pakistan batting line up by registering career best figures of 6/44. He was adjudged the Man of the Match for this performance.

SL-280/4 (50)

Dilshan-119* (139)

Jayawardene-53 (45)

PAK-204 (46.2) 

Azhar Ali-96 (119)  

Perera-6/44

Sri Lanka were batting first and were looking for a victory to level the series. They made a few changes in the batting order and Tharanga was sent out to open along with Dilshan. Tharanga did not last long and was out for 18 and the next man in was Sangakkara. He was dismissed for 18 too and his poor run with the bat continued. Despite the loss of wickets at the other end, Dilshan carried on in his merry way and punished the poor balls. Chandimal provided a solid support to Dilshan and the duo gathered runs at a fair pace. Dilshan reached his 50, but played out a few deliveries in the process. Chandimal was then shown the door for 32, but he had done his job. Mahela Jayawardene was looking a lot more confident and played a lot more freely in the middle order at no.5. Mahela took on the Pakistan bowlers and hit 8 boundaries in his knock of 53 in 45 balls. Meanwhile, Dilshan completed his 100 and played the sheet anchor role. Thisira Perera ended the Sri Lankan innings in grand fashion, scoring 24 in 14. Dilshan remained unbeaten on 119 and Sri Lanka reached 280/4 in 50 overs.

Pakistan had a huge task in front of them and eeded to bat well to get to the target because batting under lights is a tough ask in Sri Lankan conditions. Pakistan began poorly, losing Hafeez and Younis Khan early and the scoreboard was reading 48/2. It was then upto Azhar Ali and Misbah ul Haq to take the innings forward and both of them played according to the situation. Young Azhar Ali was impressive in his shot making and added 79 for the third wicket with his skipper. Pakistan were 127/2 after 29 overs and had a good chance of getting to the score. But Perera showed his magic and trapped Misbah plumb in front for 27. No other batsman could click for Pakistan from there on and when Azhar Ali was bowled by Kulasekara for 96, it proved to be the final nail in the coffin for Pakistan. Finally, the Pakistan innings folded up for 204 and Perera finished with figures of 6/44. Sri Lanka now have leveled the series 1-1 by a comfortable 76 run victory here at Pallekele.

SRI LANKA WON BY 76 RUNS

Man of the Match- THISIRA PERERA

Read More...

Sri Lanka vs Pakistan 1st ODI : Pakistan Tame The Lankan Lions

PAK WON BY 6 WICKETS (D/L)

Man Of The Match- UMAR GUL

SL-135/8 (42)

Thirimanne-42*

Sami-3/19

Gul-3/24

PAK-135/4 (34.1)

Hafeez-37

U.Akmal-36*

Misbah-30

The 1st ODI between Sri Lanka and Pakistan proved to a pretty one sided encounter in the end as the visitors Pakistan put up a clinical show to beat Sri Lanka by 6 wickets (D/L method) in a rain affected game. Sri Lanka were batting first on a lively pitch which provided assistance to the pacers. Sri Lanka were rocked early by Umar Gul as they lost their experienced trio of Dilshan, Jayawardene and Sangakkara quickly. Chandimal and Mathews too could not do much as both of them fell without adding a run to the Sri Lankan total. Sri Lanka were tottering at 81/7 and even 100 was looking a difficult total to reach. But Thirimanne and Kulasekara put on a partnership of some relevance to take the score past 100. Sri Lanka were 107/7 in 37 overs when rain came down again and play was halted. The game was then reduced to a 42 over a side encounter and Sri Lanka were able to reach 135/8 thanks to a steady knock of 42 not out from 73 balls by Lahiru Thirimanne. Umar Gul and Md. Sami were the pick of the bowlers as far as Pakistan were concerned as both picked up 3 wickets each. Hafeez took 2/20.

The target for Pakistan was 135 according to the D/L method in 42 overs and Sri Lanka really had to do something special to win the game. Lasith Malinga drew first blood as he dismissed  Azhar Ali caught behind the wicket for 3. Younis Khan too did not last long and fell for a mere 5 to Kulasekara. Md. Hafeez and Misbah ul Haq then steadied the ship for Pakistan and got them past 50. Hafeez was playing his shots whereas Misbah was looking a bit cautious. Just when Hafeez was looking well set, he was trapped in front for 37 by Rangana Herath. Pakistan were 78/3 in 20 overs and the game was all but done for Sri Lanka. Umar Akmal was looking in a mood of total destruction as he played shots all around the park and scored 36 runs in 48 balls to take Pakistan home. Misbah ul Haq too supported him well and scored 30 in 79 deliveries. Pakistan reached the score in 34.1 overs and sealed a comfortable victory. Pakistan now have a crucial 1-0 lead in the series and Sri Lanka need to pull up their socks in the next game on  Saturday here at Pallekele.

Read More...

Sri Lanka vs Pakistan 1st ODI : Lankans To Face the Pakistan Charge

The two Asian Giants Sri Lanka and Pakistan are ready to face off against each other this time in the 50 overs format after the T20 series was tied at 1-1. 

After having lost the first T20 pretty badly, Pakistan came back well to level the series thanks to Boom Boom Afridi. The 5 match ODI series promises to be another cracker of a contest with both sides evenly balanced. Though Sri Lanka will try to utilise the home advantage, the Pakistan squad certainly has the potential to beat any side on their day. Both the teams will be looking forward to take the lead in the 5 match series by registering a win tonight. It is also going to be a battle of the two captains Mahela Jayawardene and Misbah ul Haq as both are aggresive in their approach but are struggling with their form with the bat.

The Sri Lankan team is a tough side to beat at home and they know how to use the conditions. They would be banking on the experienced trio of Dilshan, Sangakkara and Jayawardene to take them to a big score as all the three of them have got tremendous potential with the bat and can handle the best of bowling attacks. They have also got some good young talent with the bat in the likes of Chandimal, Mathews and Thirimanne and all of them have showed at times they are the future as far as Sri Lanka is concerned. Thisira Perera is going to be a big asset for Sri Lanka both with the bat and the ball as he provides the much needed balance to the side. The bowling department will be spearheaded by Slinga Malinga along with Kulasekara.

Pakistan are now looking a totally different side after victory in the last T20 and will be giving a tough fight to the Lankans. Spinners will be the deciding factor for Pakistan as Saeed Ajmal, Shahid Afridi and Md. Hafeez have proved to be economical as well as picked up crucial wickets when required. The comeback of Tanvir and Sami in the team has benefited the Pakistan team a lot as both of them are bowling with fire and aggresion. The responsibility of scoring runs will lie on the shoulders of Hafeez, Umar Akmal and Misbah along with Afidi. Pakistan are an unpredictable side and the Sri Lankans better be aware of them.

This game is surely going to be a contest to watch out for as both the teams are evenly poised. The Kandy track will assist the spinners and the team which wins the toss will look to bat first. So get ready to witness the battle from 9.00 GMT.

Read More...