Pakistan v Sri Lanka, 1st Test, Abu Dhabi, 18-22 October, 2011

skully wrote:Your boys are doing good, PP. Welcome back, my friend.

Basil wrote:
Good to have you back

Thank you sirs

It's quite amazing how quickly Sri Lanka have slid.

Pakistan? Well, they're always on the verge of having a very good side before controversy scuppers everything.

Wow, 236 by Umar, and then they needed a run out to get rid of him.

The highest score by a Pakistani opener since Hanif's 337 vs the WI in 1957. I wonder if any one from this forum was THERE for that match.

I wasn't born, so I'll take a pass, PP.

That Hanif lad could play a bit.

hanif's test record seems pretty safe. probably one of the unlikeliest to be broken

unbelievable how much the lankans have slid since murali retired. unless jaya and/or sanga fire in each test they are pretty much down and out

PlanetPakistan wrote:The highest score by a Pakistani opener since Hanif's 337 vs the WI in 1957. I wonder if any one from this forum was THERE for that match.

I was alive of course but did not see it Hanif Mo was an absolute prodigy

Pakistan have dropped something like six catches this morning.

Typical Pak. This game should've been done and dusted by now.....

Good ton by Sanga, even though he's benefitted from some dodgy Wacky fielding.

Aye, Sanga is class. The only resolute SL innings come when he prevails. Top banana rearguard.

Yup, class player and class individual. Hope he goes past 250.

Is this the end of the morning session? Or the afternoon?

If it's the morning then there's still a little bit of work to do.

Of course as soon as Sanga goes then the rest of the batting line up tend to crumble, so although it seems to be heading towards a draw, it's still live at the moment.

Sanga & Happy bat through the morning session. 5/364 at lunch, a lead of 50.

Cheers. They just need to survive one session then, though like I said, pack of cards is likely when one goes so it's not over yet.

Turned it into a double. Top player. OK, Prasanna Jayawardene has cheaped it by getting a ton too, but still. The work wasn't done. They now look like they've saved the match.

Quite impressed by Azhar Ali. Good batting, good fielding. His leggies seemed quite nice too.

Pak have a chase of 170 in 20-odd overs. Not likely, but it could be exciting.

No way Pak will go for it.

Almost ALL captains these days are ultra defensive. It's a disgrace, as surely there can be no harm in going for the target for at least 5 overs, but these days it's reality- No captain wants to take a risk these days.

Still, you;d think this is exactly what T20s would train you for.

Brass Monkey wrote:Turned it into a double. Top player. OK, Prasanna Jayawardene has cheaped it by getting a ton too, but still. The work wasn't done. They now look like they've saved the match.

"cheaped it" is a bit unfair. Without him and the other keeper, the Lankies would have been buried by a mountain of runs. Only one other batsman scored more than 23.

Maybe SL need to draft in two or three more wickie-batters for the next Test?

Dinesh Chandimal?

Batsmen who don't keep wicket are so last decade...

Remarkable effort from Sangakkara who now has more Test doubles than anyone but Bradman and Lara. But despite this rescue act, SL's decline as a Test force post Chuckali seems to be confirmed more with every series.

Well done to Sanga on his double and saving the match for the Lankans.

Too many drop catches it seems

Sanga is a master these days.

Sanga has been one of the World's top five batsmen for the last five years.