Pakistan and Sri Lanka meet in a day-night Test in Dubai from Friday lunchtime after the tourists produced a stunning upset in game one in Abu Dhabi.
Set a measly 136 runs to win in the fourth innings, Pakistan looked certain to justify short odds as favourites to take a 1-0 lead. But, incredibly, they collapsed to 114 all out. And even then they still looked odds-on shots when strongly-placed at 78 for five.
The man who did the damage was veteran spinner Rangana Herath. He took six wickets and would have forced a rethink by many – us included – who wagered on a Pakistan win. It was felt that the form book and talent gulf made the home team a strong bet.
Indeed, the bookmakers have been hastily re-chalking odds, too. Pakistan are as big as 1.8 with Stan James to level affairs. Sri Lanka are 4 with Marathon and the stalemate is 4.8 (10Bet).
So, where’s our money going to go? Well, it would be relatively easy to make a case for the Lankans. They have, apparently, just proven themselves as more than a match for their Asian neighbors. And it is true that Pakistan are in a rebuilding phase after the retirements of Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq left their batting vulnerable.
Yet we just can’t quite convince ourselves that the price is value. And instead, we are set in our ways of reckoning that Pakistan will, finally, show why they are a stronger outfit.
As we said in the preview for the first game they are very strong at their ‘home’ venues of the UAE and it is rare that they are shown up in such a way. It could well have been just a fluke thanks to Pakistan complacency, reckoning they had the game won and they didn’t need to show focus or intensity. For sure they will have had a wake-up call now.
Sri Lanka, despite the win, still have problems. Angelo Mathews’ calf injury means he will miss out robbing them of vital experience with bat and ball. And it raises questions about their top order.
Lahiru Thirimanne and Kaushal Silva did not convince in Abu Dhabi so Roshen Silva or Sadeera Samarawickrama could come in for a Test debut.
Their batting was hardly bombed proof. It is easy to forget that with both sides pretty much level pegging after first innings, they imploded themselves being bowled out for just 138. That is actually the sort of effort we expected so we will bet on the status quo returning.
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