At R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, March 17, 2006 (day/night). No result. Toss: Sri Lanka.
A tropical storm during the dinner break forced this match to be abandoned after Pakistan had
managed only a fair total. Atapattu's decision to bowl first, unusual for floodlit matches at this
ground, raised eyebrows, but it soon looked shrewd. Maharoof, with a parsimonious new-ball spell
of two for 16 from eight overs, and the other bowlers were all gunbarrel-straight on a moist twopaced
pitch, while the fielding was predatory and energetic. The only time Pakistan gained any
momentum was during a stand of 53 between Mohammad Yousuf and Inzamam-ul-Haq, but
Maharoof returned to dispose of Inzamam in his second spell.