 Rallying on their impressive run, Pakistan will be keen to dent Sri Lanka
further as the two sides meet in the inconsequential final one-day match at Abu
Dhabi on Wednesday. Sri Lanka started the series at No. 2 on ICC ODI rankings
and have already slipped to number four. Pakistan, on the other hand, edged past
England and will be looking to solidify their fifth slot further.
After back-to-back wins, Pakistan's confidence is sky high. From the lows of
failure to a come-from-behind win in the fourth match, all masterminded by flamboyant Shahid Afridi, the team has continued its unbeaten run in bilateral series
this year. And the team knows that to put all the controversies behind them,
they need to keep winning irrespective of the series result, and that will keep
Pakistan hungry for a win in the final game.
Click for Live Score Card of Pakistan Vs Sri Lanka
Pakistan may fiddle around a bit with their line-up, to try different combinations
and test their bench strength. Umar Gul has looked out of sorts in the last
two matches and may be rested to give Sohail Tanvir another chance. Another
surprising omission has been that of Junaid Khan who impressed in the test matches
as well.
For Sri Lanka, their abysmal tour keeps getting worse. Their experienced players
have failed to carry the team over the line, and the youngsters have been unsuccessful
in translating their immense potential into on-field results. On Sunday the
team failed to chase 201, their last seven wickets collapsing for 19 runs. To
make matters worse, skipper Tillakaratne Dilshan and Mahela Jayawardene
have injury concerns that may rule them out of the last game. Jayawardene presents
the more serious doubt, and has already been pulled out of the Twenty20 match
that follows.
Given the unpredictable nature of performances on both sides, another close encounter
cannot be ruled out on the slow, low pitches of Abu Dhabi. The match will be crucial
not only for the teams' viewpoints, but also for individual players to stand up
and be counted with both teams looking to score psychological points ahead of
the Twenty20 international.
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