Pakistan reach 24/2 at Stumps on Day 1 of the 1st Test after Sri Lanka dismissed for 222

[sweep_shot]

5 wides.

Sri Lanka can't afford to give away these extras.

 

[Omer2002]

Explosion off the pitch ..must say great selection by us playing just one spinner

 

[JibranAnsari]

Explosion off the pitch ..must say great selection by us playing just one spinner

2

 

[imshally81]

Review time

 

[imshally81]

Stumps are missing..bad review... It seems not out with naked eye... Review lost too

 

[imshally81]

Not a bad start by Pakistani openers

 

[sweep_shot]

That was a poor review. It looked like missing or umpire's call.

 

[imshally81]

Imam out... Decision reviewed

 

[imshally81]

Seems out to me

 

[imshally81]

Imam flopped as expected

 

[boomboomcheema]

Imam gone.

 

[sweep_shot]

Wicket.

Pakistan - 12/1.

 

[Amjid Javed]

imam clueless as usual.

 

[Ahmed216]

Amazing how imam keeps getting dismissed in the same fashion

 

[Omer2002]

1 out of our 4 batters...great selection

 

[boomboomcheema]

It's all been Sri Lanka in the last two hours.

 

[imshally81]

Amazing how imam keeps getting dismissed in the same fashion

He is always a candidate of LBW with this angle

 

[sweep_shot]

Run rate: 1.71.

Is Pakistan being too cautious here?

 

[boomboomcheema]

Now Pakistan will go into shell and lose more wickets
s in process.

 

[Ahmed216]

He is always a candidate of LBW with this angle

Basics are all over the place and this is one unforgiving format.

 

[Ahmed216]

Run rate: 1.71.

Is Pakistan being too cautious here?

That's absolutely normal for Pak

 

[sweep_shot]

Theeksana has been very tidy.

4-3-1-0.

 

[Cric1234]

Now we’re going to see some quick scoring as Azhar Ali is here.

 

[Cric1234]

Test cricket will show how good a batsman is the flat wickets in ODIs have made it too easy to make runs.

 

[Marooned]

Explosion off the pitch ..must say great selection by us playing just one spinner

Babar didn't bowl Nawaz enough. From what I've seen so far, as a captain, Babar will take this team nowhere.

 

[Pakpak]

What an amazing start to the batting with a superb RR

 

[Marooned]

Let's see if Shafique gets his sr above 30s. Abid Ali looked Lara next to him in bdesh.

 

[Titan24]

Slow left armer comes in.

Pak needs to be bit more proactive, not reckless. Need to use the feet, sweeps and other shots to put pressure on the bowlers. Otherwise they will keep bowling comfortably around the areas they want while chipping in with wickets.

 

[shah_1]

Babar being a poor test captain bowled too many overs of Naseem Shah, not enough of Nawaz

 

[Omer2002]

The spin for spinners already is crazy

 

[sweep_shot]

Last 10 overs: 8/1 (run rate of 0.80).

Negative batting.

 

[imshally81]

Our fast bowlers bowled exceptionally well at this spin friendly track

 

[imshally81]

I love this type of pitches... Just imagine... vs Aus at Galle

 

[Marooned]

How many overs are left?

Asking because one nightwatchman is already on. Will be awkward to send in another

 

[Cric1234]

Welcome to test cricket Azhar Ali 1 of 20 balls

 

[sweep_shot]

How many overs are left?

Asking because one nightwatchman is already on. Will be awkward to send in another

8 more overs after this.

 

[Marooned]

Our fast bowlers bowled exceptionally well at this spin friendly track

True. It was brainless to pick 3 fast bowlers but atleast they did a job and a half.

Nawaz should've bowled more though. He would've outbowled Yasir.

 

[Marooned]

8 more overs after this.

Think we are covered then with nightwatchman Azhar but who knows.

 

[sweep_shot]

Sri Lanka are playing two off-spinners. Interesting.

 

[shah_1]

According to Azhar Ali formula


Whoever has the most dot balls wins the cricket match

 

[Marooned]

Welcome to test cricket Azhar Ali 1 of 20 balls

Brave tailender. Mashaallah.

 

[shah_1]

Turning a lot

 

[shah_1]

Abd will get out soon to jayasuriya

 

[Marooned]

Attack. Otherwise you are digging your grave.

 

[shah_1]

I was right

No answers

 

[Omer2002]

Spitting spin my goodness what a disgrace selection playing 3 seamers on here

 

[Titan24]

Need to play some calculated shots, not going to survive defending on this pitch.

 

[Ahmed216]

Abd will get out soon to jayasuriya

Right call. Bat coming down at an angle.

 

[Ahmed216]

Our batting is a mess really

 

[Marooned]

Abdullah always looked poor vs spinners and nothing special otherwise too.

 

[Omer2002]

Attack. Otherwise you are digging your grave.

How can you attack..the amount of spin is stupendous..you would look silly getting out its just pathetic think tank playing this selection nauman wud have been good here
Look ar babz first ball beaten all ends up

 

[Savak]

Zero release shots from a very one dimensional predictable Pakistani batting line up. No use of the sweep, no use of the feet, no reverse sweep. Just block block and allow the spinners to smell blood and get into an easy rhythm. Horrible stuff

 

[Marooned]

Spitting spin my goodness what a disgrace selection playing 3 seamers on here

Even more so considering they had the Australia series to learn their lesson.

 

[Titan24]

How can you attack..the amount of spin is stupendous..you would look silly getting out its just pathetic think tank playing this selection nauman wud have been good here
Look ar babz first ball beaten all ends up

Like aussies were doing. Playing sweeps, using feet etc.

Otherwise bowlers will keep bowling in the same areas, their spinners are accurate.

 

[sweep_shot]

Pakistan - 21/2 (15 overs).

Negative batting is probably costing Pakistan here.

 

[imshally81]

Already missing fawad here...

 

[Ahmed216]

Zero release shots from a very one dimensional predictable Pakistani batting line up. No use of the sweep, no use of the feet, no reverse sweep. Just block block and allow the spinners to smell blood and get into an easy rhythm. Horrible stuff

Its called 'Saqball'

 

[sweep_shot]

Abdullah always looked poor vs spinners and nothing special otherwise too.

He seems a bit slow.

Even when Pakistan toured Bangladesh, he was slow.

Needs to improve strike rate.

 

[imshally81]

This is the last recognised batting pair...

 

[shah_1]

Missing Abid Ali here

He was poor in SENA(most of our batsmen are also rubbish) but a monster batsman on such pitches. He had a great sweep shot against spinners

 

[imshally81]

Edged but didn't carry

 

[Marooned]

He seems a bit slow.

Even when Pakistan toured Bangladesh, he was slow.

Needs to improve strike rate.

In bdesh, Abid Ali looked Lara next to him. He is slower than Azhar Ali, and that's saying something.

 

[sweep_shot]

Sri Lanka probably should've played an extra SLA instead of playing 2 off-spinners.

Most Pakistani batsmen are right-handed.

 

[Savak]

Spitting spin my goodness what a disgrace selection playing 3 seamers on here

Pakistani spinners were horrible in Pakistan. Nauman failed big time and didn't do much in the practice match either. Can't blame Babar for lacking confidence in him.

 

[imshally81]

Still 6 overs remaining

 

[Marooned]

Missing Abid Ali here

He was poor in SENA(most of our batsmen are also rubbish) but a monster batsman on such pitches. He had a great sweep shot against spinners

True that. Underrated in subcontinent. Can be a match winner due to his sr. Plays spin well too.

 

[Marooned]

Pakistani spinners were horrible in Pakistan. Nauman failed big time and didn't do much in the practice match either. Can't blame Babar for lacking confidence in him.

Different conditions demand different players. It wasn't hard to see this is going to be entirely a spin game.

 

[sweep_shot]

Abdullah Shafique reminds me of Wajahatullah Wasti.

 

[Geordie Ahmed]

We'd do well to get to 150 from here

And if we do it will take us all day to get there

 

[Titan24]

Irrespective of the surface you have to bat at atleast 2.75 to 3.50. At test level bowlers are going to be accurate more often then not, you will have to devise a strategy rather then just defending and waiting for either good balls that take your wickets or bad balls in which you might score sometimes.

 

[Ahmed216]

They've not punished juicy half volleyd and full tosses so far. Comsumed by fear

 

[Marooned]

Azhar Ali masha allah. What does he think he is doing with that approach?

 

[Savak]

Given what I have seen, the left arm spinner Jayasuriya is the biggest threat. Pakistani batsmen should strategize and go after the other bowlers and then when well set put some pressure on the left armer as well.

 

[Cric1234]

Test team is awful needs aggression quickly get in Haider Akmal Saud a number of batsmen who can do better than these slow ones.

 

[sweep_shot]

3 overs left after this.

 

[Titan24]

Sri Lanka probably should've played an extra SLA instead of playing 2 off-spinners.

Most Pakistani batsmen are right-handed.

Totally.

 

[Corridor of Uncertainty]

Pakistan will regret not playing Faheem Ashraf

 

[Usman Chadda]

Our batsmen are rubbish against spin

 

[imshally81]

Stumps.. We also avoid the follow on

 

[Marooned]

Imo for subcontinent, pakistan need to turn to agressive openers.

Fakhar, Haider, Abid.