Finally, the Pakistani team notch up a win on the tour! After losing the test series 2-0, and going down 0-3 in the five-match ODI series, Pakistan pulled one across a reasonably depleted Sri Lanka to make the scoreline look a trifle better. And they will now look to make it two in a row in the fifth and the final ODI to be played on the same ground, the RPS in Colombo.

Umar Akmal has emerged as one of Pakistan's potential hopes for the future as his century in the previous game showed. However, the Pakistani batting was not all about his batting, as it was also about an excellent start given by Kamran Akmal and Imran Nazir, and then, a solid, father-like knock from Younus Khan. With the duo of Misbah-ul-Haq and Mohammad Yousuf looking woefully out of touch, the responsibility of scoring the runs will most heavily depend on the aforementioned trio.

Personally, I was very surprised with the selection of Misbah back into the side, though it does make sense to continue with someone of the class of Yousuf. However, despite their failures, it is difficult to change a winning combination, and hence, Younus Khan may feel the need to persist with the same playing eleven.

The bowlers had done an excellent job with Iftikhar Rao Anjum bagging a five-wicket haul. The bowling form of Naved-ul-Hasan will be a definite worry, but with Abdul Razzaq and Umar Gul almost ruled out of the series, there is hardly a scope for a change in the bowling side either.

From the Sri Lankan perspective, it could just be the time to give Sanath Jayasuriya another game. The southpaw was out of touch, and dropped for the last two games, but the Sri Lankans may want him to be getting back into form if they need to start getting things moving for him.

The rest of the batsmen do look settled, with the obvious exception of Thilan Samaraweera, who is more of a test match batsman and is finding the shorter format a bit of a struggle.

From the bowling perspective, Muttiah Muralitharan had been rested in the previous game, to make way for the likes of Ajantha Mendis and Malinga Bandara, as was Nuwan Kulasekera. However, to win back the momentum, there is a fair chance that Sri Lanka may want to play at least one of the two premier bowlers.

Despite Pakistan's win, Sri Lanka will be favourites to win the game, and that probability will increase manifold if the Sri Lankans bat first.

Tag :- Abdul Razzaq   Ajantha Mendis   Iftikhar Rao Anjum   Kamran Akmal   Muttiah Muralitharan   Pakistan   Sri Lanka   Younus Khan