Inzamam, Naveed Latif take Pakistan to victory

A courageous century from Naveed Latif and an antithetically sparkling hundred from Inzamam-ul-Haq shepherded Pakistan to a victory that will give them a massive boost when they take the field against Sri Lanka on Sunday.

The Sri Lankan innings, ending in a respectable and definitely defendable total, suffered initially as the openers could not get off to the devil-may-care, greased-lightning start that their fans have come to expect of them. Instead of losing their heads, however, they stuck to their task, picking off singles and patiently seeing out the tight opening spells of Shoaib Akhtar and Waqar Younis. The moment their replacements, Azhar Mahmood and Abdur Razzaq, made an appearance, however, the batsmen unshackled themselves, with Avishka Gunawardene being especially harsh on Razzaq.

Shortly after becoming the third Sri Lankan batsman to cross 7,000 one-day international runs, Sanath Jayasuriya holed out to Akhtar at long-on. Gunawardene and Atapattu followed their skipper to the pavilion within the next 10 overs, dismissed by Akhtar and Razzaq respectively. Mahela Jayawardene, meanwhile, set about composing a poem of an innings, using his wrists to guide the ball silkily into the gaps. He was given one life when a TV replay of an unreferred run-out appeal showed that he was short of the crease; to his credit, he took maximum advantage of his let-off.

Pakistan's bowlers stormed back into the game after the 40-over mark when Waqar struck twice in three balls to remove Russel Arnold and Kumara Sangakkara. Jayawardene, to whom Sri Lanka must have looked to take full toll of the final 10 overs, fell in the 48th over, top-edging Akhtar after scoring 84 off 83 balls.

The Sri Lankan innings closed at 272/9 and, although Akhtar could point with pride to figures of 3-45, it was the support bowling that let Pakistan down.

And it was exactly that department that Sri Lanka looked to have well in hand during the first 15 overs of Pakistan's batting effort. Although it was Chaminda Vaas who banished the dangerous Shahid Afridi back to the pavilion, it was the secondary bowling in the form of Charitha Buddika that really tightened the screws on the free-stroking Pakistani batsmen. Not only did he dismiss the reliable Yousuf Youhana, but he kept a tenacious rein on line and length, posing sticky problems to a nervous Naveed Latif.

The scenario changed only after the 20th over, specifically with the advent of skipper Jayasuriya into the bowling attack. Latif seemed to have a great fondness for the Sri Lankan skipper's fast left-arm spin, punching him for fours and a six in quick time. With the burly batsman at the other end also starting to score freely, the balloon of pressure , so painstakingly built up, was suddenly punctured.

It was never re-inflated. Inzamam, keeping a cool head and transmitting his quietude to his younger partner, drove and cut delectably, seeming to plan the chase to meticulous perfection in his mind. Vaas was brought back, to no avail; Buddika was brought back, to no avail. Latif, in only his second match, notched up his first one-day international century in the 43rd over. His partner, not to be left behind, tramped majestically to his own hundred.

Pakistan's inexorable progress towards the target had the inevitable end. Although, along the way, Latif fell, Inzamam saw his side safely past the total; Latif, predictably enough, bagged the Man of the Match award, but, as could be gauged from his acceptance speech, Inzamam played more than a small role in Latif's own innings.

The biggest benefit that Pakistan is likely to draw from this game is a psychological edge that can be cashed in against Sri Lanka in the final. With strike bowlers Wasim Akram and Muttiah Muralitharan sure to feature on Sunday, the Khaleej Times final is likely to be a champagne version of this last league encounter.