Pakistan v Sri Lanka, Asia Cup, Mirpur

Misbah, Akmal steady Pakistan in chase

25 overs Pakistan 87 for 3 (Misbah 30*, Akmal 24*) need a further 102 runs to beat Sri Lanka 188 (Sangakkara 71, Tharanga 57, Cheema 4-43) 

	Suranga Lakmal took two early wickets to give Sri Lanka hope

A timid start by Pakistan, which included the loss of three wickets, gave Sri Lanka hope of defending a modest 188, but some sprightly hitting by Umar Akmal, supervised by Misbah-ul-Haq, ensured Pakistan maintained the initiative.

Mahela Jayawardene wore a stony expression when he took the field after Sri Lanka's underwhelming performance with the bat. He had plenty to expect from his beefed-up bowling attack, and they responded by trying to make life tough for the batsmen by bowling tight lines. Some committed ground fielding, especially by Tillakaratne Dilshan, and catching lifted the spirits of the bowlers.

Jayawardene maintained that expression throughout, knowing that even a quick burst of wickets still left them with plenty to do. He stuck to his tactic of constantly shuffling fielders in various close catching positions. The openers, Nasir Jamshed and Mohammad Hafeez, started watchfully but succumbed to tame dismissals, not very different in character to their counterparts.

Jamshed, despite hitting two very pleasing boundaries along the ground, decided to try and clear the fielders and ended up getting a top edge to mid-on. Jayawardene kept a slip and short leg in for the legspinner Seekkuge Prasanna, and Hafeez, perhaps stifled by their presence, planted his front leg wide of leg stump and scooped it straight to backward point.

Younis Khan gifted Suranga Lakmal his second wicket with an exaggerated whip to Farveez Maharoof at mid-on, who timed his dive and caught the ball inches off the ground. At 33 for 3, Sri Lanka were in the game but three boundaries by Akmal off a Lasith Malinga over in the bowling Powerplay - all risk-free - calmed the nerves for Pakistan. Misbah was prepared to wait for the bad deliveries, driving Prasanna past the covers before launching him for a six over long-on.

Innings Sri Lanka 188 (Sangakkara 71, Tharanga 57, Cheema 4-43) v Pakistan

	Aizaz Cheema recovered from some early stick to finish with four wickets

Sri Lanka's bid to stay alive in the tournament got tougher, largely due to their own mistakes, as Pakistan restricted them to 188. A partnership of 96 between Kumar Sangakkara and Upul Tharanga gave Sri Lanka a semblance of control, but the steady fall of wickets either side of that stand increased the pressure on Sangakkara, who himself perished trying to attack. Aizaz Cheema recovered from a pasting in his first two overs to take four wickets, while Saeed Ajmal took three to limit Sri Lanka to a modest score.

Dodgy shot selection was the main cause of Sri Lanka conceding the third CB Series final and their opening match of the Asia Cup. Against a new opponent today, the same problem persisted, as they lost wickets in the quest for quick runs after winning the toss in a pressure match. It was an underwhelming performance from a team that bats deep but did not have the application to match their talent.

Like in the previous match, the onset of the batting Powerplay led to Sri Lanka's downfall. Tharanga's wicket gave Pakistan an opening just when it looked like they had switched off during the middle overs. Pakistan picked up the last six wickets for just 27 runs and it was largely due to Sri Lanka's inability to read Ajmal's doosra.

Sri Lanka continued to invest in their most attacking options - Mahela Jayawardene and Tillakaratne Dilshan - at the top. With Cheema getting a hammering from Dilshan, Jayawardene tried to match his partner's crunching drives past the fielders on the off side, but perished scooping a drive to Mohammad Hafeez at extra cover.

Dilshan was harsh against the nippy pace of Cheema, thrashing any width outside the off stump with his tremendous bat-speed and follow through. Misbah-ul-Haq was forced to make field changes, pushing point back and the next ball reinstating the fielder to his original position and pushing square leg back. It was a gamble which did not backfire on the Pakistan captain. Cheema worked to a plan, cranking up his pace and shortening the length, forcing a circumspect Dilshan to withdraw an attempted pull and then weave away from one that fizzed past his helmet.

Cheema, who had earlier leaked 17 off his opening over, ensured he cut out the width to Dilshan. The batsman tried to launch him over the on side but instead produced a tame top edge to mid-on. Dinesh Chandimal, in the middle of a sudden slump, dabbed an Umar Gul delivery to Younis Khan, who judged the catch well at first slip.

Lahiru Thirimanne could not resist playing at a wide delivery from Hammad Azam, driving to Umar Akmal at backward point. Two of Sri Lanka's finds in Australia - Thirimanne and Chandimal - literally played into Pakistan's hands. It was left to the more experienced pair of Sangakkara and Tharanga to consolidate.

It was slow going at the start, as only 11 came from the bowling Powerplay. The stand featured several singles, 61 of them, and five boundaries. Tharanga was comfortable against the spinners, picking up boundaries through the off side via deft cuts. Sangakkara pounced on a short delivery from Hafeez to bring up the fifty stand.

Ajmal was taken off after the bowling Powerplay but Misbah brought him back at the start of the final Powerplay. He struck by bowling Tharanga with the doosra, before inducing a poor shot from Farveez Maharoof. Sangakkara tried to force the pace by charging Cheema but ended up dragging the ball onto the stumps.

Sri Lanka picked five bowlers, at the expense of a batsman. They will need all five to fire if they are to defend 188.