How Sri Lanka handle the pink ball will be key to how they perform in the second Test at Dubai. Francois Nel / Getty Images
How Sri Lanka handle the pink ball will be key to how they perform in the second Test at Dubai. Francois Nel / Getty Images
How Sri Lanka handle the pink ball will be key to how they perform in the second Test at Dubai. Francois Nel / Getty Images
How Sri Lanka handle the pink ball will be key to how they perform in the second Test at Dubai. Francois Nel / Getty Images

Pakistan consider Herath a threat in Dubai even as Sri Lanka prepare for first day-night cricket Test


Paul Radley
  • English
  • Arabic

Series info

Test series schedule 1st Test, Abu Dhabi: Sri Lanka won by 21 runs; 2nd Test, Dubai: Play starts at 2pm, Friday-Tuesday

ODI series schedule 1st ODI, Dubai: October 13; 2nd ODI, Abu Dhabi: October 16; 3rd ODI, Abu Dhabi: October 18; 4th ODI, Sharjah: October 20; 5th ODI, Sharjah: October 23

T20 series schedule 1st T20, Abu Dhabi: October 26; 2nd T20, Abu Dhabi: October 27; 3rd T20, Lahore: October 29

Tickets Available at www.q-tickets.com

Stat Fourteen Fourteen of the past 15 Test matches in the UAE have been decided on the final day. Both of the previous two Tests at Dubai International Stadium have been settled in the last session. Pakistan won with less than an hour to go against West Indies last year. Against England in 2015, there were just three balls left.

Key battle - Azhar Ali v Rangana Herath Herath may not quite be as flash as Muttiah Muralitharan, his former spin-twin who ended his career by taking his 800th wicket with his final delivery in Tests. He still has a decent sense of an ending, though. He won the Abu Dhabi match for his side with 11 wickets, the last of which was his 400th in Tests. It was not the first time he has owned Pakistan, either. A quarter of all his Test victims have been Pakistani. If Pakistan are going to avoid a first ever series defeat in the UAE, Azhar, their senior batsman, needs to stand up and show the way to blunt Herath.

What a difference five days make. Or, perhaps, more accurately, the seven or so hours at the end of the game which decided the first Test in Abu Dhabi.

It had appeared until that point that Sri Lankan cricket's disarray was all set to lurch on unchecked, while Pakistan's transition to the new era under Sarfraz Ahmed was sprouting shoots of cheer.

And then Rangana Herath saw to it that all that was, in fact, nonsense, with 11 wickets in the match bringing about a remarkable 21-run win.

Now, ahead of Sri Lanka’s first day-night Test match, they are on the brink of inflicting a first ever series defeat on Pakistan in the Fortress UAE.

In the pink

Sri Lanka did have some matches using a pink ball during their domestic first-class season. However, these were not floodlit.

From the experience of the one match he has played, captain Dinesh Chandimal believes the pink ball favours pace bowlers and not spinners.

Even though their success in the first Test was based on their slow bowlers, Chandimal is still sanguine about his side’s prospects in Dubai.

“We are all really excited because this is our first pink-ball Test match,” Chandimal said. “It is the first day-night match we are playing and it will be a really good challenge for the team. I’m sure the guys will take to the challenge very well.”

Rangana the great

The statistics suggests that Pakistan have long-standing deficiencies against left-arm spinners, and not just ones of Herath’s pedigree.

Even though he said, in his limited experience, he found the pink ball neutered the effect of spinners, Chandimal still expects Herath to be a threat in Dubai.

The Sri Lanka captain, as well as coach Nic Pothas, said their first glimpse of the pitch suggested it was dry, and therefore might aid spin later in the game.

“As far as I’m concerned, throughout my career, Pakistan’s batsmen have really struggled against left-arm spinners,” Chandimal said.

“That is what I have seen over the past seven or eight years. We all know Rangana is a legend, an outstanding bowler. I am sure he will be a really good asset for this game as well.”

On the attack

In his first-Test debrief, Mickey Arthur, Pakistan’s coach, was upset that his batsmen had not taken the attack to Herath in Abu Dhabi.

It was a sentiment echoed by Sarfraz ahead of the second match.

“First of all, credit to him for taking 400 wickets,” Sarfraz said. “I think he has done well for Sri Lanka, he is their No 1 spinner, so the plan will be to attack him.

“The last time we played in Sri Lanka we attacked him, so this time we will try to put pressure on him.”

Pakistan have their own spin threat, too. Yasir Shah took eight wickets in the first Test, and Sarfraz is confident he will be a threat again, despite the pink ball and floodlights.

“I am sure he will get help with the pink ball,” Sarfraz said, citing the West Indies Test last year when Devendra Bishoo took eight in an innings against Pakistan.

“The last time, Bishoo got eight wickets, so it is not like spinners don’t get wickets with the pink ball.”

______________

Read more

Amith Passela: Tharanga can build on Abu Dhabi Test win

Paul Radley: Abu Dhabi Test collapse concern for Arthur

Paul Radley: Sarfraz proves he will be his own man

______________

Ultimate venues?

Test matches in UAE can occasionally feel like water torture. Low wickets, slow outfields, stifling conditions, and meagre crowds can make for a tough watch.

Are we viewing things wrongly, though? Test matches (for now) are supposed to be played over five days. UAE venues have a remarkable record for using up all that time, and still providing a result.

Sri Lanka sealed the Abu Dhabi Test in the final session. Pakistan have won the two previous Dubai Tests, against West Indies and England, in the final hour of the game.

And when these sides met in Sharjah in 2013, Pakistan won with 15 balls left. A repeat of that in Dubai late on Tuesday night would suit them fine.

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MATCH INFO

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THURSDAY'S ORDER OF PLAY

Centre Court

Starting at 10am:

Lucrezia Stefanini v Elena Rybakina (6)

Aryna Sabalenka (4) v Polona Hercog

Sofia Kenin (1) v Zhaoxuan Yan

Kristina Mladenovic v Garbine Muguruza (5)

Sorana Cirstea v Karolina Pliskova (3)

Jessica Pegula v Elina Svitolina (2)

Court 1

Starting at 10am:

Sara Sorribes Tormo v Nadia Podoroska

Marketa Vondrousova v Su-Wei Hsieh

Elise Mertens (7) v Alize Cornet

Tamara Zidansek v Jennifer Brady (11)

Heather Watson v Jodie Burrage

Vera Zvonareva v Amandine Hesse

Court 2

Starting at 10am:

Arantxa Rus v Xiyu Wang

Maria Kostyuk v Lucie Hradecka

Karolina Muchova v Danka Kovinic

Cori Gauff v Ulrikke Eikeri

Mona Barthel v Anastasia Gasanova

Court 3

Starting at 10am:

Kateryna Bondarenko v Yafan Wang

Aliaksandra Sasnovich v Anna Bondar

Bianca Turati v Yaroslava Shvedova

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Favourite travel destination: Ooty, a hill station in South India

Hobbies: Cooking. Biryani, pepper crab are her signature dishes

Favourite place in UAE: Marjan Island

Series info

Test series schedule 1st Test, Abu Dhabi: Sri Lanka won by 21 runs; 2nd Test, Dubai: Play starts at 2pm, Friday-Tuesday

ODI series schedule 1st ODI, Dubai: October 13; 2nd ODI, Abu Dhabi: October 16; 3rd ODI, Abu Dhabi: October 18; 4th ODI, Sharjah: October 20; 5th ODI, Sharjah: October 23

T20 series schedule 1st T20, Abu Dhabi: October 26; 2nd T20, Abu Dhabi: October 27; 3rd T20, Lahore: October 29

Tickets Available at www.q-tickets.com

Stat Fourteen Fourteen of the past 15 Test matches in the UAE have been decided on the final day. Both of the previous two Tests at Dubai International Stadium have been settled in the last session. Pakistan won with less than an hour to go against West Indies last year. Against England in 2015, there were just three balls left.

Key battle - Azhar Ali v Rangana Herath Herath may not quite be as flash as Muttiah Muralitharan, his former spin-twin who ended his career by taking his 800th wicket with his final delivery in Tests. He still has a decent sense of an ending, though. He won the Abu Dhabi match for his side with 11 wickets, the last of which was his 400th in Tests. It was not the first time he has owned Pakistan, either. A quarter of all his Test victims have been Pakistani. If Pakistan are going to avoid a first ever series defeat in the UAE, Azhar, their senior batsman, needs to stand up and show the way to blunt Herath.