Sri Lanka defended a paltry score, of one fifty runs, with some ferocious bowling performance, which has made them clear favourites, to go through to semi – finals, from a relatively easy group.
Early Sri Lanka opening batsmen Dilshan and Jayasuriya continued their impressive form, from where they left in West Indies game, to give their side a brisk start of eighty one runs. Contrasting to West Indies game, Dilshan was the aggressor of the two, where Jayasuriya was more contend, to take singles and rotate the strike to Dilshan, who was in more belligerent mood.
But once both openers fell, Sri Lanka failed to relish on solid platform, as conventional batsmens like Jayawardene and Sangakkara found it difficult to gratify dream of end over bash, against Pakistan bowling attack.
Sahid Afridi bolwed impressively once again for Pakistan along with Saeed Ajmal and Sohaib Malik put Sri Lanka in a spin and Mohammed Aamir , nineteen year old fast bowler bowled a tight spell unlike Sohail Tanvir, whose economy rate was towering to two digits.
Sri Lanka in the break would have been repenting on the fact, that they managed mere one fifty runs, as they looked well settled to take twenty runs more than it, but consistent loss of wickets along with lack of partnership, in the end hurt them.
Sri Lanka opened with Angelo Matthews and Kulasekara , in the process of defending their paltry score and they kept tight lines and also Kamran Akmal run – out dint help them either.
It came to their experienced middle order batsmen, to rescue their chase and Sohaib Malik along with Younis Khan saw through their team, with a solid reprisal, to Sri Lankan bowlers and even Mendis magic was withered effectively.
Lasitha Malinga. Who was maintaining school boy silence in this tournament announced that he is back, to International arena with three wickets, which pegged their chase. But the final knockout punch came from the heavy weight bowler Mutthiah Muralitharan, who took the crucial wickets of Sahid Afridi and Misbah –Ul – Haq, to give them the much needed edge, to defend their team score, of one fifty runs.
Sri Lankan bowling fire power proved too much, in the end for capricious fluttering Pakistan batsmen and ended up nineteen runs short of Sri Lankan total a performance, which would have ever pleased Younis khan, after their impressive spell, from bowlers, to secure an easy win.
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