Sri Lanka draw first blood

Full of bravado and gumption, Waqar Younis had said before the Sharjah Cup started that his campaign for the 2003 World Cup was to start here. Going by his team's display in the first outing, they would need to improve, and quite considerably, to be even a serious contender for the World Cup. They were found wanting in all departments of the game, and need to forget the World Cup and tighten up their act to do well in this event. Though Abdul Razzaq (56, off 72 balls) and Rashid Latif (41, off 44) tried to retrieve the situation in a spirited rearguard action, it was indeed too late. A miracle may have saved the day for them, but it didn't happen and the Lankans in the end cantered off to another facile win, by 41 runs.

All credit to the Lankans. They got off to a solid start, and though they tapered off a bit in the middle and later part of their innings, they kept coming back at Pakistan. When Inzamam tore into them, they didn't lose their nerve, and when Razzaq and Rashid were taking the fight to them, they still had a faith in their ability to make a comeback.

Bad at chasing, they never got off to the kind of start that they needed. And Younis Khan and Yousuf Youhana, supposedly the two strengths in the middle order, gifted their wickets away. Imran Nazir miscued the pull and paid the penalty. Inzamam, so supremely in control, lost his balance for only an instant, and that was it for him.

From then on, it was always going to be difficult, if not impossible, for it was up to the all-rounders to save the day for Pakistan. They did make an effort. Rashid Latif was superb in front of the wicket, better than he was behind it in this game. And he combined well with Razzaq to put up 72 runs for the sixth wicket, his share being an adventrous 41 runs.

Razzaq, cool as a cucumber, never give up despite the heat and humidity. With Latif gone, he threw caution to the winds and clobbered Buddika for 16 runs in an over in which 19 were conceded. He didn't concede till the end, and he went out fighting, having no option to go after Jayasuriya only to find out that he had been caught at the fence by Muralitharan. 198 for 9, it was all over bar the shouting and though Pakistan crossed the 200 mark, Jayasuriya bowled Saqlain behind his legs to finish the match and land the Man of the Match Award.