PAKISTAN FACE INEVITABLE
Atrocious umpiring by neutral officials from the ICC’s Elite panel was a striking feature as Sri Lanka took a stifling grip of the first cricket Test against Pakistan yesterday, reducing the visitors to 36 for 3 by stumps on the third day here in Galle.
The visitors who were at the receiving end of the majority of a dozen or more dubious decisions through the match, require another 474 for victory, but rather need to survive two days with just seven wickets in hand.
Pakistan coach conceded that the match was beyond their grasp.
“Well, we can’t win it. That’s for sure. We’ll try and draw it some way or other” he said and hinted rain might be the only saviour for his team.
“Still two days to go. May be something upstairs can even out things” he said.
Some of the decisions by the Australian umpire Steven Davis and Englishman Ian Gould simply appeared outrageous but both teams were rendered helpless by the decision taken by the host team Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) to do away with the Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS) which allows the teams to challenge the calls of umpires and get a verdict through TV replays.
A visibly upset Pakistan coach Dav Whatmore vowed to complain about umpiring to the ICC but did not want to comment for obvious reasons.
“Whatever I need to say would be done through the official channels. There’ll be a bit to say. But I can’t make any public comment. You know that. I know that. We’ll do it in the right way” said Whatmore.
Whatmore called the UDRS be made mandatory for every series and took a swipe at Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) for not employing it for the current series. “I think the home board here had it against England. Why aren’t we having it here?” he asked.
“It just doesn’t seem right to me. In one series you can have it and in another you don’t. (That) makes it very difficult to understand” observed the former world cup winning Sri Lanka coach.
Paceman Nuwan Kulasekera who had been recalled to Test cricket after two years claimed both Pakistan openers to earn figures of 2 for 13 in seven overs while Rangana Herath dismissed Azhar Ali as the visitors lost three wickets in the 15 overs they had to bat before close.
Earlier, Pakistan who resumed the third day tottering on 48 for 5 in their first innings after a late flurry of wickets on the previous day, were bowled out for 100 within the morning session yesterday, just surpassing their lowest total against Sri Lanka which was 90. It was in reply to Sri Lanka’s 472, which ironically was their highest ever test score against Pakistan on home soil.
Off spinner Suraj Randiv claimed excellent figure of 4 for 13 in just 9.3 overs while left arm spinner Rangana Herath captured 3 for 30 as the visitors were dismissed on the stroke of lunch.
Pakistan’s slide began with a horrific decision against their most senior batsman Younis Khan was adjudged lbw to Herath for 29 just half an hour into the day’s play by umpire Davis.
Khan who appeared to be in fine touch scoring 14 of the 17 runs Pakistan made in the morning till then was visibly shaken by the ruling and stayed non-pulsed at the crease for a few moments before walking off while television replays showed a clear inside-edge before ball hit the pads.
Wicket keeper batsman Adnan Akmal was run out for nine when both batsmen ended at the striker’s end in mix-up while attempting a second run with total on 88.
The last three wickets fell in a flurry with Randiv trapping Abdur Rehman while Herath finished 32-year old debutant Mohammed Ayub’s dogged two hour stay to make 25 through another lbw.
Randiv then had Umar Gul caught by wicket-keeper Prasanna Jayawardene off a top edge to finish it off.
Despite an imposing 372-run first innings lead Sri Lanka surprisingly opted not to enforce the follow-on and began majestically after lunch, in total contrast to their opponents.
Tillekaratne Dilshan and Tharanga Paranavithana put on an 81-run opening stand dominated by dashing Dilshan who cracked 56 in 58 balls with nine boundaries to add to his first innings century, while usually-sedate Paranavithana slammed two sixes in making 25.
Saeed Ajmal who took five wickets in the first innings earned another doubtful lbw decision against Paranavithana before left arm paceman Junaid Khan struck in the next over to remove Dilshan in a contentious decision that was initially recorded by TV and as caught behind but was later clarified as an lbw. The height and the angle however made it highly improbable.
Kumar Sangakkara who finished agonizingly on 199 not out in the first innings made just one run before Sri Lanka finally declared their innings with an hour’s play remaining for the day on 137 for 5 to hand the visitors an uphill task of scoring 510 runs for victory.