Inexplicable. That is the only word that comes to my mind to describe our display against Sri Lanka. The wicket at the Premadasa was certainly not to blame. The conditions were in batsmen's favour when we batted. The Sri Lankan bowling was good, but certainly not fiery for us to fold up for 122.
A score of 225 or so would have been a competitive tally on this wicket, especially as batting second under the lights is never easy in this part of the world, but we were a 100 runs too short and our measly total was certainly a bad advertisement for Pakistan cricket.
In retrospect, I think we lost the game in the first 15 overs — we not only lost 3-4 wickets, but also failed to force the pace. The lower order had too much to do against a disciplined Lankan attack.
Zoysa has been picking the wickets, but I think Vaas's tight line and length at the other end is making that possible. Vaas' seven overs cost next to nothing, as a result, our batsmen tried their luck against Zoysa and perished.
The turning point of the match came when both Youhana and I got out in the same over. Well, to set the record straight, I was not trying to hit Murali out of the ground. Yes, my intentions were aggressive, for I did not want Murali to start dominating from the start. If you allow him to do that, you will lose the battle. All I wanted to do was scatter the field so we could milk the bowling with ones and twos. Unfortunately, the ball hit my bat and my pad before going onto the stumps. You can't fight bad luck, can you?
{{/usCountry}}The turning point of the match came when both Youhana and I got out in the same over. Well, to set the record straight, I was not trying to hit Murali out of the ground. Yes, my intentions were aggressive, for I did not want Murali to start dominating from the start. If you allow him to do that, you will lose the battle. All I wanted to do was scatter the field so we could milk the bowling with ones and twos. Unfortunately, the ball hit my bat and my pad before going onto the stumps. You can't fight bad luck, can you?
{{/usCountry}}The innings not only needed to be rebuilt after that, but the run rate too needed to be bolstered. It was too much to ask from my young team and we paid the price.
Now we must pick up the pieces and carry on. There is still much to play for. India and Sri Lanka have both picked up bonus points which means we have to win our remaining matches and hope Lanka will beat India. The dice is loaded against us, but nothing comes easy these days, least of all the tag of Asian champions. (CaféCricket)