Wicket leaves Pak, Lanka guessing

A seaming wicket and steaming hot conditions have forced Pakistan and Sri Lanka to delay naming their teams for the crucial second Test starting on Sunday.

Updated on: Jul 11, 2009, 23:03:22 IST

AFP | By HT Correspondent, Colombo

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A seaming wicket and steaming hot conditions have forced Pakistan and Sri Lanka to delay naming their teams for the crucial second Test starting on Sunday.

The hard, even-paced track at the P Sara Oval, livened up by the ongoing monsoon rains, was described by curator Aniruddha Polonowita as similar to the one at Galle where the first Test ended inside four days. “Its a Galle-like wicket that will help the seamers at the start and then settle down in favour of the batsmen,” Polonowita told reporters.

“It will be best for batting on the second and third day, and there could be a bit of help for the spinners towards the end.”

Sri Lanka won the first Test by 50 runs when Pakistan, needing 97 runs to reach the target of 168, lost their last eight wickets for 46 runs to be bowled out for 117.

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