T20 kings show Test aptitude

Though unsuccessful for long stretches during Pakistan's rearguard, the Sri Lanka attack demonstrated admirable patience and application

As gloom came to rest above the Dubai stadium in the morning, Misbah-ul-Haq began his long, dreary filibuster. For 37 balls the match stalled on his unambitious blade and Sri Lanka's bowlers could do little more than settle into their channels. Though unsuccessful for long stretches, and lacking a team-mate to provide respite with a back-spell of bowling, the attack did not stray until stumps were drawn.

During Sri Lanka's Test-free months in 2013, they had counted their top Twenty20 ranking among their proudest achievements. In that format, variation rules and predictability ends careers. Somehow, while the short-form specialists were doing just enough to safeguard the team's place atop the table, the Test bowlers had developed a taste for attrition. Misbah seemed so set on defence that perhaps not even wayward deliveries would have stirred him from his reverie, but Sri Lanka's bowlers can be satisfied that, nine days into the series, they are yet to produce a truly poor spell between them.

Pakistan will no doubt be more content with their day's returns, having lost only four wickets and having pushed the match into a fifth day, where there is a chance rain will define the outcome. But on a pitch offering little for either seam bowlers or spinners, Sri Lanka's toil was admirable. The bowling coach will find little to fault with his side's pitch maps, and there were spells in which balls routinely passed the edge, having deviated off the surface.

	We needed Misbah's wicket - Herath

Shaminda Eranga's aptitude for reverse swing was evident later in the day, particularly when he tailed one in late to Bilawal Bhatti, who jammed down on the ball, but could not prevent it spilling on to the stumps. Suranga Lakmal was the most menacing bowler with the second new ball, and Nuwan Pradeep showcased a gift for bowling tightly, after he had been the attacking option earlier in the Test.

"Bowling with patience has to happen in any Test match," Rangana Herath said afterwards. "No matter if the opposition scores quickly or slowly, if we can make run-making as difficult as possible, that is the characteristic of a good attack. I think we have that in this attack. There are things to improve, but we have the right attributes. There is a big improvement since the Australia tour at the end of 2012. If we get to play Tests in quick succession in the future, we'll be able to improve further."

Five-wicket hauls from Herath himself have featured in four out of five Sri Lanka wins since Muttiah Muralitharan retired, and it was his inability to strike that was most conspicuous. There has been little of the desert heat or sunshine that dries out this Dubai surface, however, and though Misbah was undone by a ball that ripped from middle stump to beat his forward defence, such deliveries have been rare, even out of the footmarks. Saeed Ajmal's woes in the series help illustrate just how unhelpful pitches have been for slow bowlers.

"To me, it still looks like a good track to bat on," Herath said. "I think I bowled a good delivery, but apart from that I couldn't get much spin from this pitch. I didn't try anything different with that ball. I did the same thing, but there was something extra from the pitch on that occasion, I guess."

It would be glib to glance at the scorecard and suggest Sri Lanka's attack still verges on toothless. If there has been a theme to the series, it has been that bowlers have bowled well, but batsmen batted better - at least beyond the first innings of each match. It would be unfair to expect this Sri Lanka attack to blow away a batting side on a flat surface, given its inexperience and the paucity of supporting personnel. When the umpires ruled Sri Lanka could not continue with fast bowling because of deteriorating light, Kumar Sangakkara was their only choice for a comically inept over.

With rain forecast for large periods of Sunday, Sri Lanka cannot afford to be complacent as they seek to restrict the Pakistan lead to no more than 150. Having dominated the first seven sessions of this Test, a draw would disappoint almost as much as a loss, but in waiting Misbah out, Sri Lanka have shown they do not lack for persistence.

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'Now we know we've got players who can do well anywhere' - Dhoni

MS Dhoni believes that India's young side has transitioned into a stable unit with the help of sustained exposure at home ahead of a number of overseas trips.

According to the Dhoni, the first one, to South Africa, proved that the team had players who could perform in all conditions. As they depart for the second trip, to New Zealand, the India captain said that tackling bounce and generating it were the major challenges facing the batsmen and bowlers respectively.

"The good thing is that though there have been quite a few changes [to the team], before we went for the last tour we got enough time in India," Dhoni said at a press conference in Mumbai, ahead of the team's departure for New Zealand. "Quite a few of them played few Test matches in India and we did well and were confident of their ability. Quite a few people were speculating about how the batsmen will do or how the bowlers will do [in South Africa]. Now we know we have got a set of players who will do well irrespective of where we are playing and that is a big positive.

"As of now, both our [ODI and Test] squads look quite settled, which is a good thing because it's very important to back individuals. If you talk about the batsmen, not all of them have played a lot of Test matches outside the subcontinent. So they will take some time.

"But what we have seen is that almost all of them have played ODIs outside India and still they have performed really well, which gives you the confidence of saying that they have the ability to do well outside the subcontinent when it comes to dealing with pace and bounce. Yes, the red ball does slightly more and for slightly longer periods in Test matches and it's different, but if you have the talent to perform in one format, definitely you have the talent to perform in others too."

For India batsmen who are used to unpredictable and low carry at home, leaving balls on the bounce alone in New Zealand is likely to be a challenge. But Dhoni said that his batsmen had shown in South Africa that they could tackle that test quite well.

"We have a slightly bigger challenge in the sense that ... [even] if the fast bowlers bowl back of a length in India more often than not it is very difficult to leave on the bounce, but when you go outside you know you have the liberty of not only leaving on the line, but also if you judge the bounce and if the wicket has good bounce, you can leave on the bounce.

"This is something you learn over a period of time and I think the batsmen did well in South Africa, they handled good fast bowling and at the same time they were quite positive. There were quite a few things that happened in South Africa that gives us the confidence of saying that we have the talent of doing well anywhere in the world."

Dhoni also said there was healthy competition among his bowlers, with more and more recovering from injuries, and that the challenge for his attack was to squeeze more bite out of drier pitches.

"I think there's more competition when it comes to the bowling department. One year back some of our leading fast bowlers had injuries. Back then we didn't have too many options," he said. "But now with all of them becoming fit and being available for selection and doing well on the domestic circuit, they have enough competition amongst themselves, which is a healthy thing to have."

"There's one particular condition we have to improve on, which is on wickets that are on the drier side and just have a bit of bounce on offer and not too much of seam movement. The reason being, most of our bowlers aren't those who hit the surface. Most of them are those who swing the ball and bowl slightly up to the batsman. At times we encounter wickets that are on the drier side and you have to bang in the ball to get bounce and pace."

In the absence of a seam-bowling allrounder, Dhoni also called for India's specialist spinners to show more patience and build pressure in overseas Tests, pointing to Ravindra Jadeja's performance in the Durban Test as an example.

"One thing that the home team would like to do is to ensure that the wickets don't turn at all. The reason being that we don't have an allrounder. We don't play with five specialist bowlers. Over the years we have lost our part-timers who were as good as specialist bowlers.

"If the ball doesn't spin they [the opposition] can take runs off the spinner, rotate the strike and look to score over three runs an over, and that actually puts the pressure on the captain. You don't want them to score over three-and-a-half runs an over when the spinner is bowling. [Then] you're forced to bring back the fast bowlers and they end up exhausted after the first day workout.

"In that respect, Jaddu's performance was good. Also the spinners will have to accept that when they travel abroad and when they're bowling on the first-day wicket, their role is slightly different. They need to have a bit more patience and not give them runs so that you are also building pressure from one end. They get late turn from the third or fourth days and that's the time they need to go in for the kill.

"When they play more and more games outside India, they'll start accepting the fact that in their first 9-10 over spells in India they might get one-two or more wickets, [but] outside they need to be more patient in their first spell, especially if they are bowling on the first day of the Test match. It's a bit tough on them but till the time we find a seaming allrounder, they'll have to bear that."

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Can put SL under pressure if we bat out first hour - Sarfraz

Sarfraz Ahmed, whose unbeaten 70 took the second Test into a fifth day, said Pakistan's lower order could put Sri Lanka under pressure if they survived the first hour.

"If we survive that then definitely we will score," he said. "If we survive two hours we will be around 200 ahead. They [Sri Lanka] will also be under pressure, but we are a bit ahead of them. If we score another 100 runs it will give us a good chance to come back into the match."

Sarfraz said the team management's backing allowed him to play his natural game despite his failure in the first innings. Sarfraz, who replaced the injured Adnan Akmal behind the stumps, was playing his first Test in nearly a year. He had scored 89 runs in his first four Tests, with a highest score of 40.

"I was under pressure because I was in and out of the team for quite some time," he said. "It was a good opportunity because I had been scoring runs in domestic cricket. Definitely I was under pressure after getting out cheaply in the first innings, but the team management backed me, I backed myself and that's the reason I played my natural game."

At stumps, Sarfraz had faced 123 balls and struck seven fours. He put on 67 with Bilawal Bhatti for the seventh wicket, after Pakistan captain Misbah was out for a 248-ball 97, with the team only 22 ahead. Sarfraz said his first-class experience helped him play through the period immediately after Misbah's dismissal.

"When I was batting with Misbah he was telling me a lot how to stay and play," Sarfraz said. "When Misbah bhai got out I tried to take the responsibility because I had batted through these types of situations in first-class departmental cricket. I tried to guide Bilawal and establish a good partnership and thankfully we did put up a decent partnership."

The pitch, Sarfraz said, was still good to bat on. "The pitch is playing well," he said. "You've seen Misbah and Younis [Khan] putting up a good fight. I will also try to keep the fight going on tomorrow and stay at the wicket as long as it is possible. If we stay at the wicket more, they will be more under pressure."

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England bat, Tredwell left out

Toss England chose to bat v Australia
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Alastair Cook enjoyed few wins during the Ashes series but he began the one-day portion of the tour with a small victory, winning the toss and choosing to bat in the first ODI in Melbourne.

Surprisingly, England did not choose a spinner, leaving out James Tredwell, which meant that the part-time offspinner Joe Root was their only slow-bowling option on the drop-in pitch at the MCG. The pace-heavy attack will be made up of Boyd Rankin, Tim Bresnan, Ben Stokes and Chris Jordan, with Stuart Broad having been rested for the opening match of the series.

The inclusion of Gary Ballance for his second ODI gave England a deep batting line-up with Stokes, arguably their best batsman during the Ashes, listed to come in at No.8. Australia named their side on the day before the match and there was no late change, with Shaun Marsh and James Pattinson the two men left out.

Australia 1 David Warner, 2 Aaron Finch, 3 Shane Watson, 4 Michael Clarke (capt), 5 George Bailey, 6 Glenn Maxwell, 7 Brad Haddin (wk), 8 James Faulkner, 9 Nathan Coulter-Nile, 10 Clint McKay, 11 Xavier Doherty.

England 1 Alastair Cook (capt), 2 Ian Bell, 3 Joe Root, 4 Gary Ballance, 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Ravi Bopara, 7 Jos Buttler (wk), 8 Ben Stokes, 9 Tim Bresnan, 10 Chris Jordan, 11 Boyd Rankin.

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Pietersen not retained for new IPL

Kevin Pietersen's future has been pushed further into doubt with his IPL franchise Delhi Daredevils deciding not to retain any of their players.

Pietersen, who has a cloud hanging over his international career after a difficult Ashes series and reported rift with team director Andy Flower, was expected to be retained for IPL 2014 but Daredevils have instead chosen to build a new team.

Delhi tweeted: "DD will not be retaining any player from the previous squad for IPL-7. It was a unanimous decision by the management in order to build a fresh team that our fans will be proud of DD."

It is understood that Daredevils, who finished bottom of the IPL last season which Pietersen missed with a knee injury, were in negotiations with Pietersen and fellow star attractions Virender Sehwag and David Warner but the talks fell through with the franchise not willing to meet the price requested by the players.

Pietersen will now have to enter the auction, on February 12 and 13, for the seventh season of IPL. If he chooses not to, he would become available for the first half of Surrey's County Championship campaign ahead of the first Test of the English summer on June 12 against Sri Lanka.

Missing the tournament would send a clear message to the England management that Pietersen is still committed to international cricket. Pietersen, who has already tweeted his strong desire to remain an international player, will regard that as a gesture that he has no cause to make.

It is therefore highly likely that Pietersen, who previously requested more time to be made available for England players to take part in the IPL, will take advantage of the ECB's decision to shift back the first Test of the summer.

In a deal sealed in new central contracts which were not signed until England left for the Ashes tour, the agreed cut-off date for England players to return ahead of the international programme is May 13, which would give them seven days preparation ahead of the first ODI against Sri Lanka.

The IPL will also test the ambitions of Eoin Morgan, who is keen to return to Test cricket. Morgan has previously opted to play in the IPL and miss a large chunk of the English season. Last year he played for Kolkata Knight Riders and scored 307 runs at 27.90.

Morgan has played 16 Tests for England, the last in February 2012, but is still unproven in red-ball cricket with a first-class average of 34.45. Commitment to Championship cricket is surely a requisite for him to be considered for Test cricket again.

Jos Buttler is another England player who could be considered for Test duty but whose T20 talent should make him in-demand for the IPL. Ben Stokes, who has emerged as England's allrounder in all formats, is not expected to enter the auction.

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Is workload taking a toll on Ajmal?

Saeed Ajmal made a relatively late entry into international cricket but didn't play his first Test till he was almost 32. He is 36 now and is doing his best to make up for lost time having been a key player for Pakistan for many years

Pity Saeed Ajmal. Since May 2011, he's bowled the most overs in international cricket (1914.1 overs, far ahead of Graeme Swann's 1619.3 and James Anderson's 1640.1 overs). And he's missed only six international matches out of the 122 Pakistan have played since becoming a permanent member of the team across all formats. A relatively late entrant to international cricket, at the age of 30, he played his first Test when almost 32; now 36, it seems he's doing his best to make up for lost time.

He's been a key player for Pakistan for all this time. And now the strain is showing.

The Abu Dhabi Test took its toll on Ajmal. He has never waited so long for a wicket in a Test innings: his previous longest wait was 41.1 overs, in the first innings against England at Lord's in 2010 and he ended with figures of 2 for 126 from 44 overs. He remained wicketless in the second innings of the first Test with 49 overs, conceding 115 runs, and had to wait another 28.2 overs in Dubai to take his first wicket, making the stretch 77.2 overs.

There was a debate of sorts in the dressing room of the Sheikh Zayed Stadium before the first Test over resting Ajmal but captain Misbah-ul-Haq voted out the other spinner Abdur Rehman and insisted on sticking with the veteran. By no means has Ajmal been the wrong pick but he didn't fire in time. Probably, he wasn't given much support from the other end, or as Ramiz Raja suggests, he was "neutralised" well by the Sri Lanka batsmen.

Ajmal doesn't want to rest, he has barely asked for it. He wants to play every match and Pakistan don't want to drop him because he has been doing well. He was supposed to be rested with his suspected hernia last year but doctors cleared him with a week's rest before the ODI series in Scotland in May.

Saqlain Mushtaq, on the other hand, made his Test debut at 19 and became the quickest to 100 one-day-international wickets. His career was damaged by knee injury and in nine years - in which he played 49 Tests and 169 ODIs - his career was over. He made a final unsuccessful attempt in 2004 to force his way back into the Test side, against India in Multan, only to concede 204 runs in 43 overs. Disappointed with Ajmal's workload, Saqlain advised him to take a break to avoid getting fatigued.

"He [Ajmal] is a quality spinner and has proven himself in every format but he looked tired against Sri Lanka and perhaps he needs to be given a break from the sport so that he can refresh himself and come back fresh," Saqlain said. "He can still play for some more years and is our match winner."

Ajmal is an automatic selection in every format for Pakistan and dropping him could be the hardest thing for the selectors who normally adopt a safety-first policy. Rotation doesn't work in Pakistan, players are insecure, selections are inconsistent and players have no guarantee if they will be recalled after been rested.

Cricket is money in Pakistan and for Ajmal it's no exception. He wants to earn as much as he can before he walks away. He has been one of the best spinners in the world in the last three years but he is missing out on the IPL money. After a late entry and with age not on his side, it's uncertain how long he will manage to play. He would want to play the 2015 World Cup but Pakistan would prefer an in-form and fit Ajmal who can contribute with his performances.

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Younis defends younger players

At 19 for 3, Pakistan seemed to be heading towards an inevitable defeat, but Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq both scored fifties to keep Sri Lanka at bay on the third day. The hosts still trailed by 91 runs at the end of play, but Younis insisted that the team's fightback would continue. Younis was unbeaten on 62, while Misbah hit 52 not out, as the pair put up an unbroken stand of 113 for the fourth wicket.

"I tried to fight back," Younis said. "In the end, it was good that I had a partnership with Misbah. The seniors always perform whenever the team needs them to, so that's good."

What would have hurt Pakistan is the fact that their bowlers had actually done well to dismiss Sri Lanka within 28 overs on day three, conceding only 70 runs in the process to keep the visitors' lead at 223. The hosts, however, immediately collapsed and lost Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez and Khurram Manzoor in quick succession. Given Pakistan's recent batting performances, it would have been safe to assume that the rest of their batting would also fold, but Younis and Misbah stayed firm to launch a counterattack.

"What was needed was to keep it simple on the pitch and play according to the situation. It's always good whenever Misbah plays with me as we just take singles and we try to cash in on easy deliveries. It was the same when I was with Yousuf, with whom I had a big partnership."

When asked why the youngsters like Shehzad and Manzoor were not taking on the responsibility, Younis said: "Ahmed is new to Test cricket so I think we must give him some time. Khurram is doing well as he has had some experience in Tests. I hope they learn from their mistakes. I think if they play for 14 years, they will also play like us. It's as simple as that."

"Khurram has played 10 Tests while it's just the start for Ahmed. I think that with time they will learn, especially after playing so many T20s and ODIs. When you play an ODI, you field for 50 overs and then bat.

"But in Test cricket, you sometimes have to field for more than 150 overs and then go open. The first four batting positions are very crucial in Tests, so you can say it has something to do with their fitness, as much as their experience. If you look at them after five years, maybe you will say they are batting better than us."

Despite the recovery, Pakistan are still facing an uphill task, with Asad Shafiq the only reputed batsman left to come. Still, Younis is optimistic that Pakistan can take a commanding lead.

"The first target is that we get a lead of around 220. Something like 200-300 runs on the board will be good for us. One thing that happened in Abu Dhabi was that the ball was seaming, but they [Sri Lanka] took the match away from us," he said. "So I thought if we played correctly and according to the situation, we could be in a similar position. If we cashed in on one or two sessions and stayed there together, you never know. Anything can happen on the last day."

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A fresh start, or just more pain?

Match Facts

January 12, 2013, Melbourne
Start time 2.20pm (0320GMT)

The Big Picture

For Australia there is a World Cup to build for and the chance to add more pain. For England there is a World Cup to build for and a chance to start repairing some of the damage from the Ashes humiliation.

In the previous four Ashes series the side watching the victors celebrate with the urn have achieved some modicum of retribution, albeit small, with success in the one-day contests that follow. However, given the traumatising effect of the last six weeks, it would be a brave person who would back Alastair Cook's side to continue that trend.

In 2006-07, Andrew Flintoff's brittle and disenchanted team somehow managed to snatch the CB Series from Australia's grasp with such names as Liam Plunkett, Ed Joyce and Paul Nixon to the fore. That fleeting moment of relief was followed by a shocking World Cup campaign while Australia went unbeaten to a hat-trick of titles.

This time there is still a year until the global 50-over trophy is up for grabs, but that time will pass quickly and important markers can be laid over the coming weeks. England need to work out the balance of their top six and which bowlers will support Stuart Broad and James Anderson, although the latter is perhaps not certain to be there. Who of Steven Finn, Boyd Rankin, Tim Bresnan, Chris Jordan and Chris Woakes are the men to star with the white ball?

Australia, although understandably carrying the swagger of 5-0 winners, have some pace-bowling slots of their own to nail down and need to decide whether Xavier Doherty is the man to be their spinner in 2015. There is also a battle at the top of the order with Aaron Finch aiming to firm up an opening slot alongside the recalled David Warner.

Form guide

(Completed matches, most recent first)

Australia LLWLW
England LWLWL

Watch out for

Ravi Bopara enjoyed a resurgent 2013 in England's one-day side after his troubles of the previous year. If his pull off Ishant Sharma in the Champions Trophy final at Edgbaston had been placed slightly better he could have produced the defining performance of his career. Ifs and buts don't mean much although the way Bopara went about his ODI cricket was highly encouraging both with bat and ball. It was in Australia, on the 2006-07 tour, that he made his debut and much was expected of him. Development has taken longer than many hoped, but now he has the chance to show he is here for the long haul.

James Faulkner was at the Ashes celebrations in Sydney, but during the series itself he was the perennial 12th man, unable to force a change in the Australian line-up. This, though, is a format where he has already shown his worth: his previous ODI innings was a hair-raising 116 off 73 balls, batting at No. 7, against India in Bangalore. Bowling in that series was a fearsome prospect, but Faulkner came out of the carnage better than some. Neither, as his comments on his Test debut showed, is he shy at having a word or two.

Team news

There will be plenty of fresh faces for England, particularly in the middle order where Bopara and Eoin Morgan will form the fulcrum followed by Jos Buttler. Stuart Broad is rested for this and the second match meaning the likes of Chris Jordan or Chris Woakes will get a chance. The former's extra pace should make him favourite.

England (possible) 1 Alastair Cook (capt), 2 Ian Bell, 3 Joe Root, 4 Ravi Bopara, 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Ben Stokes, 7 Jos Buttler (wk), 8 Tim Bresnan, 9 Chris Jordan, 10 James Tredwell, 11 Boyd Rankin

James Pattinson will have to wait a little longer for his international return while Shaun Marsh is the batsman to miss out. Darren Lehmann has said that Clint McKay is under pressure to lift after struggling in India - although he was not the only bowler to take a hammering - and being dropped from his BBL team.

Australia 1 David Warner, 2 Aaron Finch, 3 Shane Watson, 4 Michael Clarke (capt), 5 George Bailey, 6 Glenn Maxwell, 7 Brad Haddin (wk), 8 James Faulkner, 9 Nathan Coulter-Nile, 10 Clint McKay, 11 Xavier Doherty

Pitch and conditions

A true surface can be expected although sometimes they are a little on the slow side. The really hot weather is not due until next week and there is a chance of a shower on match day although it is expected to clear by the time the game begins.

Stats and trivia

• When these teams previously met at the MCG in 2011, Shane Watson hit an unbeaten 161 to take Australia to victory chasing 295.
• Xavier Doherty needs one wicket to reach 50 in ODIs
• This fixture will be repeated on the opening day of the World Cup on February 14 next year

Quotes

"The psychological edge we take is our success against the same team recently in the UK. I don't look too much into what's just happened in the five Test matches."
Michael Clarke

"We came here to win the Ashes, everyone knows how important they are, but now we've lost them if we win this one-day series we can salvage some pride.
Alastair Cook

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Kaushal knock as good as a ton - Mahela

Kaushal Silva narrowly missed a maiden hundred on day two in Abu Dhabi, but Mahela Jayawardene emphasised the value of Silva's 95, which he said was as good as a ton. Silva forged a 139-run fourth-wicket stand with Jayawardene to help consolidate the advantage Sri Lanka's fast bowlers had earned on day one, and had been the more fluent partner during their association.

Silva had also hit 81 in Abu Dhabi - his first Test since 2011 - as he stepped into the opener's role made vacant by Tillakaratne Dilshan. Silva has been a middle-order batsman for his first-class side, but Jayawardene lauded the work-ethic that has bred his success in a new position.

"Kaushal was unfortunate to miss a hundred," Jayawardene said. "The little guy is batting really well. I'm very proud of him. He's a clubmate of mine and he works really hard at his game. Good to see that he has shown the same kind of commitment at this level and he fully deserves what he has got. Two good knocks, but although he didn't get a hundred, today's knock was as good as a hundred. He batted through the pressure situations and carried the team in that time. He's quite familiar getting big scores so I'm sure once he gets one he'll continue to get a few more for us."

Pakistan had only made 165 in the first innings, but Jayawardene joined Silva in a tense period, after Sri Lanka's third wicket had fallen for 88. The pair scored at only 2.4 runs per over in the first 30 overs of their stand, as Pakistan bowled with discipline.

"There was a bit of pressure early on when I was batting with Kaushal. We talked and spoke of batting long, because the longer we batted and the more tired the bowlers got, the better chances we had of getting in the game."

Jayawardene said the pitch also still posed difficulties for batsmen, despite only three wickets having fallen on day two. Sri Lanka finished the day 153 runs ahead, with six first-innings wickets still in hand.

"A first day wicket should have a little bit in it, and we were fortunate enough to win the toss and get the first use out of that. If you see, the new ball is still doing a bit. It's a wicket that you don't feel that you're set all the time. There's a little bit of spin for Saeed Ajmal as well. We had to really fight hard. Batting against Pakistan was not easy - they were not giving us easy runs. They bowled well in patches and we had to ride that through."

Batting with three stitches after splitting the webbing between two fingers on his left hand on the first day, Jayawardene revealed why he had come in at No. 5 - one place lower than his normal position.

"Last night, Dinesh Chandimal had been ready to bat at No. 4, so we didn't want to change that too much this morning. I had already decided I would bat either 4 or 5 and not lower, because with my injury, I can't go for too many big shots and that doesn't help when you have to bat with the tail."

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Lack of discipline hurting Pakistan bowlers

Pakistan's seamers failed to create opportunities as a unit. Their bowling coach Mohammad Akram reiterated that the bowlers let Sri Lanka off the hook by not maintaining any pressure

Saeed Ajmal went wicket-less. Junaid Khan was tidy. Bilawal Bhatti was ineffective. Mohamamd Hafeez was under-bowled and Rahat Ali was unlucky. That was the tale of Pakistan's bowlers on the second day in Dubai. They managed to take only three wickets, conceded 261 as Sri Lanka walked away with a decent lead of 153 runs and six wickets in hand. Pakistan walked away with few positives in terms of the bowling, on a pitch that is expected to get flatter and test them further.

Pakistan stumbled to 165 after losing the toss yesterday - an improvement from their 99 after opting to bat first against South Africa on the same pitch in October. The toss was the difference but bowlers toiled hard on both occasions to mend the mistakes made by the batsmen from day one.

The chatter in the press box was mainly about Rahat being 'unlucky'. He toiled for 26 overs with little success, with several edges dropping in front of the slips and a regulation take that was spilled by the wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed. Ajmal was economical but unsuccessful. Bhatti, playing in his second Test, was the quickest - clocking 147 kmph - but lacked discipline. Coach Dav Whatmore said before the Test that his bowlers had the ability to take 20 wickets to win the contest but today, the bowlers struggled to take half that number to try and restrict the Sri Lankan batsmen.

"The pitch played better than yesterday and it was very obvious when they (Sri Lanka) won the toss and bowled first," Mohammad Akram, Pakistan's bowling coach, said. "There was a bit of juice in the pitch yesterday. We knew that the pitch will get better (for batting) but still, our bowlers held them well. But yes, they needed to be more disciplined."

There was occasional seam movement but the lengths didn't work and the bowlers rarely troubled the Sri Lankan batsman. Rahat was in fact lucky when Kumar Sangakkara's bat was stuck under his boot, only to be trapped in front of the stumps. It was Rahat's only wicket. Akram said the bowlers didn't put in enough effort.

"When you are bundled out for 165, there is a bit of frustration (among bowlers), and you look to pick up wickets," Akram said. "That's the time when you really need to be disciplined. At times we bowled too many loose balls as well but the effort was there as the bowlers still ran in with their heads up.

"We lacked disciplined in the bowling. You can't offer a loose ball early in the day and let the batsman get set. The pitch is far different today to what it was on the first day so had we batted sensibly and survived, it could have been a different scenario for us.

"Our bowling attack is still the best in the world. But what we are lacking is the experience and if you add the number of matches the seamers have played it is hardly 17 or 18. Unless these bowlers play, they won't thrive."

Akram wasn't worried about Ajmal being off-color, acknowledging that the conditions had challenged him. Ajmal had picked up a six-wicket haul in the Test against South Africa.

"Ajmal is our main bowler, but there was a lot of grass on the pitch and hence not much purchase for Ajmal," Akram said. "The seamers had to do the job. We need not panic and there is no reason to be frustrated if he (Ajmal) isn't picking wickets. It happens and you can't judge him on these two matches as he has done a lot in the past."

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