Pakistan rolled to an easy seven wicket triumph over Sri Lanka
in a puerile final round robin game at the seventh Pepsi Asia
Cup in Dhaka this evening. Set a target of 193, Yousof Youhana
was the prime mover in the Pakistani reply as the Lankans tried
everything to nip his budding second wicket stand with Mohd.
Wasim, including an attempt by Upul Chandana to physically
incapacitate Youhana with a throw that homed in on his elbow as
he raced between the wickets.
The batsman was in no mood to forgive that assault on his person
as he carved out an unbeaten 90, hitting a six each off Aravinda
and Jayusiriya at either end of the ground, besides stroking
eight boundaries. It took Youhana's tournament tally to 270 at
an average of 270.00! Wasim had been seen off by Muralitharan
for a patient 44, after compiling 107 in association with Youhana,
and Inzamam-ul-Haq holed out to midon on the doorstep of victory.
The Pakistanis even weathered a ball change two runs adrift before
closing the game out unhurriedly in the 49th over.
The Pakistani win was abetted in part by some untypically sloppy
running between the wickets by the Sri Lankans after they were
inserted. The islanders batted as though in a daze, without
a trace of their usual peppiness, excepting for one bright spark
when Marvan Atapattu and Upul Chandana joined hands in the middle
of the innings. When the fifth run out terminated the innings
in the penultimate over, Dav Whatmore bolted into the confines
of the dressing room with murder in his eye. If looks could kill,
the Sri Lankans would not have emerged into the twilight to take
the field.
Although Pakistan rested three of their biggest cannons, Saeed
Anwar, Wasim Akram and Abdur Razzaq, the Lankans took the field
in full earnest. Chandana returned for Dilshan and Sajeewa de
Silva was given an outing in place of his fellow left arm seamer,
Nuwan Zoysa. Shoaib Malik knocked the middle stump clean out of
the ground from short mid wicket to send Aravinda de Silva packing
for 2 but Sanath Jayasuriya briefly threatened to impose his
stamp on the proceedings, spanking five boundaries in a run a
ball 28, until Mahmood got him to topedge an intended pull to
Arshad Khan at mid off. Four runs later, providence smiled on
Marvan Atapattu, then on 10, as he flicked Mohd. Akram with pinpoint
precision to mid wicket where Mohd. Wasim contrived to floor
the offering.
While Pakistan's catching woes continued to spill over from the
last match, one man lifted them in the field with some spectacular
athleticism. Imran Nazir is a pure joy to watch whether he's
firing from the batting crease or prowling in the environs of
point. Vice captain Mahela Jayawardene was taken out cheaply
by Mahmood but Atapattu and Russell Arnold added exactly 50 for
the fourth wicket as Sri Lanka mounted a slow recovery. The run
outs, in quick sequence, of Arnold and Romesh Kaluwitharana, put
short shrift to any ambitious restoration plans.
Atapattu and Chandana added 62 in under 12 overs as the latter
provided some sparse entertainment to the multitudes, executing
a six off Shoaib Malik and then belting paceman Shabbir Khan
over long on for another. Atapattu had been a picture of sobriety,
passing 50 in 89 balls, but a delightful roll of the wrists to
beat fine leg indicated that his appetite had now been whetted.
When Nazir at point sent him on his way for 62 (105 balls) with
a glorious diving snaffle, which had to be confirmed by TV umpire
Akhter Uddin Shahin, the innings rapidly went downhill. The
last five wickets plunged for 25 runs as Shoaib Malik, the other
bundle of energy on the field, took two catches to add to the
two run outs he effected earlier. Chandana made a gallant 46
(57 balls) while Azhar Mahmood, returning after a long injury
layoff, took three scalps for minimal cost.