Sharjeel's rush of blood, and Pakistan's poor fielding
Plays of the day from the second Twenty20 between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Dubai
Andrew Fidel Fernando
13-Dec-2013
Pakistan may have found themselves with a lower target had Umar Akmal run Kusal Perera out in the first over • AFP
The fruitless round trip
Kusal Perera's belligerent innings might have never materialised had Pakistan's fielding been just a tad sharper in the first over, when Perera ran almost all the way to the other crease before being sent back. He had hit the fifth ball of the over in between cover and point and had taken off immediately for the single, but Tillakaratne Dilshan remained stationary, and did not call off the run either. Perera was about three metres from the bowling crease when he realised Dilshan would not attempt the run, and by this time, the fielder had also collected the ball. Hesitating slightly, the fielder threw the ball wide of keeper Umar Akmal, and Kusal's desperate dive was enough to get him back in the crease before the bails came off.
Kusal Perera's belligerent innings might have never materialised had Pakistan's fielding been just a tad sharper in the first over, when Perera ran almost all the way to the other crease before being sent back. He had hit the fifth ball of the over in between cover and point and had taken off immediately for the single, but Tillakaratne Dilshan remained stationary, and did not call off the run either. Perera was about three metres from the bowling crease when he realised Dilshan would not attempt the run, and by this time, the fielder had also collected the ball. Hesitating slightly, the fielder threw the ball wide of keeper Umar Akmal, and Kusal's desperate dive was enough to get him back in the crease before the bails came off.
The rush of blood
Sharjeel Khan was by far the best among Pakistan's top-order batsmen, but having reached his maiden international fifty with a pair of beautifully struck sixes off Seekkuge Prasanna, the batsman may have let the moment excite him a little too much. He had been walloping the ball around the field by staying in his crease and generating power from a stable base but, as soon as he reached the milestone, Sharjeel walked well across the stumps on to the off side, perhaps to throw the bowler off his line. The ploy worked terribly, though. Prasanna served up a harmless full toss on leg stump that, had he retained his normal stance, Sharjeel would probably have slapped through square leg. Instead, he couldn't get his bat anywhere close to the ball and was bowled around his legs.
Sharjeel Khan was by far the best among Pakistan's top-order batsmen, but having reached his maiden international fifty with a pair of beautifully struck sixes off Seekkuge Prasanna, the batsman may have let the moment excite him a little too much. He had been walloping the ball around the field by staying in his crease and generating power from a stable base but, as soon as he reached the milestone, Sharjeel walked well across the stumps on to the off side, perhaps to throw the bowler off his line. The ploy worked terribly, though. Prasanna served up a harmless full toss on leg stump that, had he retained his normal stance, Sharjeel would probably have slapped through square leg. Instead, he couldn't get his bat anywhere close to the ball and was bowled around his legs.
The frustrated captain
Things began going poorly very early in the match for Mohammad Hafeez, but his mood was not helped by moments of complacency in the field, particularly off Hafeez's own bowling. Kusal Perera pushed a ball towards midwicket in the ninth over, and though Umar Amin and Sharjeel Khan closed in on it quickly, both men managed to misfield the ball, and conceded an extra run. Hafeez was understandably irate, gesticulating animatedly and yelling expletives in the fielders' direction, but when Perera played the same stroke in Hafeez's next over, the same two fielders failed to collect cleanly again, prompting a second round of even more frustrated abuse from the captain.
Things began going poorly very early in the match for Mohammad Hafeez, but his mood was not helped by moments of complacency in the field, particularly off Hafeez's own bowling. Kusal Perera pushed a ball towards midwicket in the ninth over, and though Umar Amin and Sharjeel Khan closed in on it quickly, both men managed to misfield the ball, and conceded an extra run. Hafeez was understandably irate, gesticulating animatedly and yelling expletives in the fielders' direction, but when Perera played the same stroke in Hafeez's next over, the same two fielders failed to collect cleanly again, prompting a second round of even more frustrated abuse from the captain.
The agile recovery
The universe has not allowed Kumar Sangakkara to do much wrong in recent months, and though he contrived to make a mess of a high ball off Shahid Afridi's top-edge in the 14th over, he recovered spectacularly to complete the catch. Sangakkara had called for the ball early, after Afridi miscued a slog off Thisara Perera, and the wicketkeeper began running back towards short third man, as he tailed the ball. As the ball began to descend though, Sangakkara realised he had misjudged its arc and had overrun it. In the final split seconds, though, he threw himself back, arm outstretched like an Olympic diver, and managed to pouch the ball with one glove.
The universe has not allowed Kumar Sangakkara to do much wrong in recent months, and though he contrived to make a mess of a high ball off Shahid Afridi's top-edge in the 14th over, he recovered spectacularly to complete the catch. Sangakkara had called for the ball early, after Afridi miscued a slog off Thisara Perera, and the wicketkeeper began running back towards short third man, as he tailed the ball. As the ball began to descend though, Sangakkara realised he had misjudged its arc and had overrun it. In the final split seconds, though, he threw himself back, arm outstretched like an Olympic diver, and managed to pouch the ball with one glove.
Andrew Fidel Fernando is ESPNcricinfo's Sri Lanka correspondent. He tweets here