Battered attacks under scanner

Match facts

Sunday, December 22
Start time 1500 (1100 GMT)

Two matches into the series, there is little to pick between the sides. As clashes between these two often go, the cricket has been as entertaining as it has been tense. Both innings in the last match ebbed, flowed, stagnated and resurged. In the end, Angelo Mathews' mettle was the difference.

Two largely new trends have also emerged. Pakistan have been adept at constructing one-day innings. Since the new rules only allowing four men outside the 30-yard circle was introduced last year, teams have increasingly adopted circumspection early on, confident that boundaries would flow later on. Neither Pakistan nor Sri Lanka had been quick to embrace this strategy but, in this series so far, there have been extended periods when they have not pursued big shots.

Given Pakistan have produced two centurions already and have put up commanding totals as a result, the shift in approach appears a fruitful one, for now.

Sri Lanka have also discovered that they now bat deeper than they probably ever have in ODIs. Seekkuge Prasanna's reintroduction has added dynamism to the lower-order batting and provided another potential pinch-hitter. Nuwan Kulasekara's batting has also blossomed over the last 18 months, to the extent that he his nearing allrounder territory. And Sachithra Senanayake's touch and temperament have been telling. Given even No. 11 Lasith Malinga has an ODI fifty, the seniors at the top of the order have had their burden eased.

Again it was the bowling that let each captain down in the second match. Pakistan caught a huge break when they ran both Sri Lanka's opening batsmen out but their spinners could not consolidate that position as well as Misbah-ul-Haq might have hoped. If it wasn't for Junaid Khan's intensity through the middle overs, Sri Lanka would have chased the biggest total ever at the stadium with ease.

Sri Lanka were perhaps even more toothless with the ball. There was not much turn off the surface, but even their top spin bowler, Senanayake, bowled most of his overs around the wicket - which turned out to be a decent way to keep the boundaries down, but did not create chances. Given it is a discipline that both teams pride themselves on in ODIs, coaches and team management will search for quick solutions before their attacks deteriorate further.

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)

 Pakistan: LWLWW


Sri Lanka: WLWLW

Given Nuwan Kulasekara's contributions to Friday's victory, the decision to drop him for the Sharjah ODI seems even more boneheaded. For the past year he has been more valuable to the team than Lasith Malinga. Not only is he more consistent, he is secure in the field (two World Cup finals drops aside), and one of the cleanest hitters in the team once he gets his eye in. He was far from his accurate best in the opening overs of the last match but the inswing he induced prompted caution from the opposition and he was decent towards the death as well. He will hope team management does not lapse into flawed logic again, as the action returns to Sharjah.

Forget Pakistan, Junaid Khan is one of the finest fast-bowling talents anywhere. At a time when ODI totals are increasing and bowlers are having their figures drummed into the dirt, Junaid averages 22.93 after 39 matches - a far superior average to Dale Steyn, James Anderson and Stuart Broad, for instance. He bowled a series of cracking balls in an already terrific spell to waylay Sri Lanka's middle order on Friday, but the men around him in the attack could not provide adequate support. If he can maintain his rhythm for the remainder of the series and into the Tests, he will improve his already burgeoning reputation.

Pitch and conditions

Sri Lanka have been fearful of bowling second so far in the series, because they have expected dew to form. While it did hamper them in the Twenty20s, it has not so far been a major issue in the ODIs.

Sohail Tanvir has been mediocre in the last two matches, and Pakistan may consider bringing in Anwar Ali as a replacement. They are almost certain to leave the firing top order untouched.

Pakistan (probable): 1 Ahmed Shehzad, 2 Sharjeel Khan, 3 Mohammad Hafeez, 4 Sohaib Maqsood, 5 Misbah ul Haq (capt), 6 Umar Akmal (wk), 7 Shahid Afridi, 8 Bilawal Bhatti, 9 Sohail Tanvir/Anwar Ali, 10 Saeed Ajmal, 11 Junaid Khan

Lahiru Thirimanne's sprained right ankle will definitely rule him out of Sunday's match, but Thisara Perera and Mathews have recovered sufficiently from the niggles that ailed them. Dimuth Karunaratne could again take Thirimanne's spot, but there are two other youngsters - Ashan Priyanjan and Kithuruwan Vithanage, who may also be in the reckoning.

Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 2 Kusal Perera 3 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 4 Dinesh Chandimal, 5 Angelo Mathews (capt), 6 Dimuth Karunaratne/Ashan Priyanjan/Kithuruwan Vithanage, 7 Thisara Perera 8 Seekkuge Prasanna, 9 Nuwan Kulasekara, 10 Sachithra Senanayake, 11 Lasith Malinga

Stats and trivia

• Kulasekara has eight more wickets than Malinga this year, at an average of 25.33 to Malinga's 30.02. Kulasekara's economy rate is also significantly better at 4.64 to Malinga's 5.34.
• Junaid has taken three wickets in each of his last four limited-overs internationals - three ODIs and a Twenty20.

"It was good to see our top order getting big scores - that has been much needed for our team. It's normally the biggest problem for us, but I'm really happy with the way it's been going."
Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq has a reason to be cheerful

"Against Pakistan, the game is never over - you have to fight till the last ball is bowled, and we did that. With the bowling attack that Pakistan have, we have to fight all the time and we have to stay positive. We can't give the chance, because they will knock us down."
Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews knows the enemy