Can Pakistan save the 2nd Test against Sri Lanka?

[MenInG]

Going by how pitch is starting to behave, I wonder if anything above 350 will be impossible?

Do we have enough firepower in terms of batting to try and get to a 350+ target?

 

[Rana]

One batsman will have to score a double ton and others will have to chip in

 

[Varun]

Any team is able to chase anything in the 4th innings these days it seems.

Pakistan did it in the very last game and should fancy their chances for any target upto 500.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Any team is able to chase anything in the 4th innings these days it seems.

Pakistan did it in the very last game and should fancy their chances for any target upto 500.

500 is a bit much. No one in the history of test cricket has chased down that much.

 

[Xoib]

Lighting will not strike twice 220 all out

 

[Boxer]

Fab 1, Babar and his team will easily chase anything around 400

 

[JaDed]

Same 350-375..

 

[MenInG]

Rain and a target of 375 could help us - draw!

 

[Champ_Pal]

Pakistan can chase up to 375. Anything above that, it will be a more mental factor. A couple of quick wickets at the top and the rest will bat for survival.

 

[Mesozoic]

It all depends on the opening partnership and the overall contributions from top 3.

If Pak are chasing 380 and they're 40/2, there's no way Babar and Fawad are not shutting shop and play for a draw.

 

[sweep_shot]

Sri Lanka collapsed a bit.

I think Pakistan can chase down 360-380.

 

[Xoib]

Last couple of months have clouded people judgement in regards to 4th innings chases it will not happen everytime I belive they have enough already.

 

[hitthestump]

Lighting will not strike twice 220 all out

This. The spirit of the team feels completely different right now. All these dinosaurs in the team is not good for morale.

 

[ChTab]

Looks like rain will have effect on this test which is what exactly Pakistan needs.

Atleast I hope so.

 

[dravidthewall]

If target is below 450 .Pakistan will chase it.Anything more than that srilanka will win

 

[Amjid Javed]

If we escape a draw here it would be a big effort. All down to rizwan, Babar and Abdullah.

 

[MenInG]

If we escape a draw here it would be a big effort. All down to rizwan, Babar and Abdullah.

Or rain!

 

[Saj]

Only rain can save Pakistan this time.

It's been an abysmal effort so far in this match and it's going to take some huge performances from the likes of Babar Azam to rescue this situation.

 

[shamaan]

If they bowl Sri Lanka out for 360 they have a slight chance and Sri Lanka will be favourites.

 

[James]

Sri Lanka strong favourites for this one. Pakistan aren’t having their best game here.

A 4th innings run chase win can never be ruled out these days, but I think it’s more likely that Pakistan’s best route out of this scenario is a few spots of rain & batting out a draw.

 

[Omer2002]

No saving here i am afraid but i dnt the pitch has turned that much like first tests

 

[Nasty Naz]

I would love to see it but it's hard to see this team chasing potentially 400+ on day 4/5 pitch with this fragile batting lineup.

It would take another special knock like Babar vs Australia or Abdullah in the last game.

 

[Punjab Kings]

Impossible
Even Just only two sessions are enough to take ten wickets of Pakistan.....

 

[daytrader]

It would have to be a world record to chase this down but we can still save this test. The pitch is holding and most wickets have been due to batter error rather than pitch or bowler. Also we could possibly lose overs due to rain and bad light. A wicketless session to start would be amazing.

 

[WhenSultansBowled]

I would love to see it but it's hard to see this team chasing potentially 400+ on day 4/5 pitch with this fragile batting lineup.

It would take another special knock like Babar vs Australia or Abdullah in the last game.

By definition special knocks come occasionally.

Both Babar vs Aus and Abdullah vs SL were once in a century kind of innings.

I'm a bit pessimist here.

Let's hope SL delay the declaration and rain saves us.

We might salvage a well earned draw.

 

[Ab Fan]

If you use the word inconsistency for KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya, I think in Test cricket, same word should be applied on Babar Azam and Rizwan as well.

 

[James]

Target looking like 480-500.

Probably best tactic now with already being 1-0 up is to shut up shop and go for the draw.

Rain might help as well.

 

[Marooned]

If you use the word inconsistency for KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya, I think in Test cricket, same word should be applied on Babar Azam and Rizwan as well.

And? Your logic for posting this in this thread?

 

[happydavy]

I would like Lanka to win and this has nothing to do with Pakistan, i am mostly a supporter of Pakistan team. However, whatever Lanka has been going through in the past 6 months, anything that can bring joy and inspiration to the society is welcome. Also let's give credit to Lankan players who inspite of whatever is going around them have played solid cricket against both australia and pakistan.

 

[Amjid Javed]

Target looking like 480-500.

Probably best tactic now with already being 1-0 up is to shut up shop and go for the draw.

Rain might help as well.

140 overs to bat, they did manage to save a draw in 2nd test vs Aussies in similar manner.

 

[F16]

Playing for a draw is suicidal . Best is play with the intent to win and first treat it like a chase of 300 and slowly and stdeaily keep building the score and keep rotating the strike and do not allow the bowlers to settle down comfortably . If Pak scores 300+ it is a very good effort even if they loose this game

 

[MenInG]

Any believers?

 

[Sunzi]

Where's the 'Save? Heck, they can win' option

 

[Rana]

Can they get deficit down to 350 by the end of tonight with the loss of only 1 wicket?

 

[Kohli The King of Chase]

If you use the word inconsistency for KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya, I think in Test cricket, same word should be applied on Babar Azam and Rizwan as well.

Babars last 7 innings
196
67
55
119
55
16
25*

Just one innings less than 55. If this is inconsistency for u, then I need to doubt ur sanity lol

 

[Ashmal]

Can they get deficit down to 350 by the end of tonight with the loss of only 1 wicket?

No....bad light to stop play anytime now

 

[Rana]

No....bad light to stop play anytime now

Kinda bad luck for Pakistan. They were batting pretty well and at good pace with Babar at the crease. They will have to start again and try to rebuild the momentum

 

[Ashmal]

Kinda bad luck for Pakistan. They were batting pretty well and at good pace with Babar at the crease. They will have to start again and try to rebuild the momentum

True.

If play continued, Pak could've reached 170 by end of today with around 330 more to get tomorrow.
It would've made SL cautious.

Now with over 400 to get in a day....SL will go in fully attacking mode without any worry of runs.

 

[Aman]

Babars last 7 innings
196
67
55
119
55
16
25*

Just one innings less than 55. If this is inconsistency for u, then I need to doubt ur sanity lol

He's been on a great run tbh, probably the best batsmen in the world across formats. Bairstow and Root probably better in Tests.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Pakistan will save this match. I just know it. Rain/bad light will probably take out 20 overs. Which will leave behind 70 overs. This batting line-up is more than capable of batting out those overs. Sri Lanka made a big blunder by not declaring with a lead of 450. They will pay for it with a series defeat.

 

[Boxer]

Chance for someone from Pakistan to be a national hero. I would bet on Babar to win the match and the other batters to save the match.

 

[Zeshan547]

Chance for someone from Pakistan to be a national hero. I would bet on Babar to win the match and the other batters to save the match.

Win the match from here? mean score 420 odd runs. Really man? even the best ever batting line up won't chase it down in max possible 80 odd overs due to light or rain etc, draw is actually most likely outcome here, just pass me on what are you having while you typed that post. This must be something special.

 

[Corridor of Uncertainty]

Sri Lanka should take the blame for an extremely conservative declaration given chances of rain.

You have to risk losing 2-0 to have a crack at a 1-1.

I do hope it rains tomorrow as a Pakistani supporter because to me only two results are possible.

 

[RamLakhan]

Pakistan will create history, mark my words!

 

[ali_ed2006]

Hard to say. Previous game most of us expected Pakistan to lose, yet they created history by chasing 345. Based on that, you would expect Pakistan to be able to draw this game, but this is Pakistan, expect the unexpected.

 

[pillionrider]

Why can't Pakistan win this. It sounds ridiculous but if they go at 4 for a session and don't lose a wicket, this could be an epic performance.

Not a bait post. I've put my money where my mouth is

 

[BunnyRabbit]

I hope so. SL would have no one other than themselves to blame if they don't win it tomorrow.

Our selections and tactics from the get go spoke defensive/negative. No way would you have your wicketkeeper bat at no.4 in Tests. Even Sanga only averaged 43 as a WK bat.

Since 2009, SL have found ways to beat Pak in tests at home even when they didn't have much armory. In 1st test 2009, we lost 8 wickets for 40 something to lose the test that kickstarted Herath's career. In 2nd test, we collapsed again and failed to be any threatening at all in preventing SL to chase 180 something.

In 2012, we started the series behind SL and never caught up to them.

In 2014, Matthews' brilliance and Pak's negativity ended up losing us the first test. Then Herath springing some magic in the second test to tak 14 wickets where we simply gave up. They even had a pacer playing a test match after 2-3 years of inactivity.

 

[sweep_shot]

I think draw is very likely.

Apart from Jayasuriya, Sri Lankan bowlers haven't been very threatening.

 

[MenInG]

Mohammad Yousuf is thinking of winning this match!

"Based on the way these 2 are playing, even tomorrow there can come a situation where we could try and play at a quick pace and try and win the game"

 

[James]

Mohammad Yousuf is thinking of winning this match!

"Based on the way these 2 are playing, even tomorrow there can come a situation where we could try and play at a quick pace and try and win the game"

Good that the mindset is there

 

[Mp812]

A 400 run chase is almost improbable with 1 wkt gone, but a draw could easily be salvaged with some resolute batting tomorrow, coupled with the probability of bad light or rain forcing an early close again.

 

[hitthestump]

Why can't Pakistan win this. It sounds ridiculous but if they go at 4 for a session and don't lose a wicket, this could be an epic performance.

Not a bait post. I've put my money where my mouth is

Well they don't need to and they are a batsman short. Don't think the likes of Fawad and Salman Agha are cut out for a prolonged onslaught.

 

[cricketAXEpert]

Going by how pitch is starting to behave, I wonder if anything above 350 will be impossible?

Do we have enough firepower in terms of batting to try and get to a 350+ target?

Even 350 would have been a formidable target. 500+ is near impossible. however weather plus good batting will win the series.
Batting 90-98 overs for draw (which means a series victory ) is tough without weather's help.
Pakistan keeping the target chase option only as a scare tactic to prevent Srilanka from applying too much pressure.
Very hard to go for draw on a turning track

 

[SportsWarrior]

Should be saved easily. Even SL's no 8 batted comfortably. Nothing much in the pitch

 

[shamaan]

A win for Pakistan is out of the equation a draw is however likely.Sri Lanka declared to late.

 

[Justcrazy]

A draw would make Pakistan happy from here. The need big partnerships to draw , I think fawad needs to play lot of overs.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Been a while since we have done a successful blockathon to save a test in the 4th innings (2nd test vs Australia comes to mind). Apart from that, there have been many heartbreaks for Pak, us losing the first test in SL 2014 still hurts.

Back in 2000s there were some good instances of our batting order saving tests. 2005 1st test India (Kamran and Abdul Razzaq masterclass), 1st test vs SL (Shoaib Malik's 148* against Murali and co).

 

[daytrader]

Praying for rain to wash out a session

 

[Ashmal]

He's been on a great run tbh, probably the best batsmen in the world across formats. Bairstow and Root probably better in Tests.

Bairstow has had just 1 great month....too early to call him the best atm.

Root and Babar are best test bats in the world

 

[MenInG]

To be honest, I did not expect capitulation of the sort we saw today.

 

[shamaan]

From one extreme to another.

 

[James]

Thought Pakistan could nick the draw here.

A poor collapse.

 

[Aman]

Bairstow has had just 1 great month....too early to call him the best atm.

Root and Babar are best test bats in the world

That one month, he probably outscored Babar's entire year. Probably scored more tons than he did in a year and half. Unreal run against the best teams in the world. Can easily say he's there with Root.

 

[shamaan]

That one month, he probably outscored Babar's entire year. Probably scored more tons than he did in a year and half. Unreal run against the best teams in the world. Can easily say he's there with Root.

Let Baistrow play in asain conditions then we can see how well he gets on.

 

[James]

That one month, he probably outscored Babar's entire year. Probably scored more tons than he did in a year and half. Unreal run against the best teams in the world. Can easily say he's there with Root.

And what a month it was. 3 out of 4 matchwinning performances. (The other win was down to Root.) I think there is something additional to be said for the quality of an innings when it comes in a Test match victory.