Pakistan lose Abu Dhabi Test from winning position
▶ Coach wants batsmen to learn from mistakes as Sri Lanka win first Test by 21 runs
Mickey Arthur said the young Pakistan side have to find a way to arrest their damaging habit for batting collapses, after they fell to a stunning 21-run loss to Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi.
The hosts were chasing a target of 136 to win the first Test at the Zayed Cricket Stadium.
Six wickets for Rangana Herath, the last of which was the 400th of his sparkling 84-Test career, brought about a capitulation, as Pakistan fell to their first defeat in 10 Tests at the ground.
Alarmingly, it was the fifth time in Tests since the start of 2016 that Pakistan have lost 10 wickets on the fifth day.
“It is a trend,” said Arthur, the Pakistan coach. “I can’t sit here and say that our batting line-up is a young line-up because this is international cricket, and you have to cut your teeth in international cricket.
“That’s certainly the expectation on our batsmen. It’s disappointing. Call it pressure? I’m not sure. It is something which we will sit down discuss and dissect going forward.”
Herath has enjoyed more success over the course of his Test career against Pakistan that against any other side.
Arthur said the Pakistan batsmen needed to be more aggressive against Herath’s left-arm spin.
“We did a lot of homework, and our players have played him a lot,” Arthur said.
“On the last day he was always going to be a factor and you have got to give him respect, but I would probably have liked to see our batsmen take him on.
“Early on I would have liked batsmen to attack him. Once you take him on, and that goes for any bowler, the game sort of settles down.
“The key to that was to remain positive and not getting tentative and looking for runs, so if you allow Herath to settle down he will do what he did, I would like him to be attacked more.”
Dinesh Chandimal, the Sri Lanka captain who made 155 in the first innings, was proud of the win, given the troubled build-up and difficult conditions. “It is tough, especially with this heat,” Chandimal said.
“The management supports us, even during the game, going around giving the players drinks, and that makes a difference.
“We are a family. We didn’t feel that heat as we were binding as a family. That is the difference we had in this game.
“We are over the moon. Finally, the hard work paid off. As a team, we were below par in our performances, but we have waited for this win and finally we got it.
“Credit goes to all the players. They played some really good cricket, I’m sure this can continue throughout the series.”
The second Test, which will be Sri Lanka’s first under floodlights and using a pink ball, starts on Friday at the Dubai International Stadium.
We didn’t feel that heat as we were binding as a family. That is the difference we had in this game DINESH CHANDIMAL Sri Lanka captain