DUBAI // Over the past five years, Pakistan have played Sri Lanka 12 times in Test matches and have a solitary win to show for their efforts. The Sri Lankans have won three and honours have been even in the others.
Barring Australia, who have won 13 of their last 14 Tests against Pakistan and lost once, this is their poorest record against any opponents in recent times.
They have even managed to beat South Africa twice in their last dozen Tests, though they have lost seven.
Why do Pakistan struggle, if we can call it that, against Sri Lanka?
The reasons are not a mystery – the Sri Lankans, being good players of spin, have managed to neutralise what has been Pakistan’s chief weapon in recent years.
“If you look at our success in the last two years, we depend more on our spin and spin gives us more of the victories,” Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq said on Tuesday, on the eve of the second Test against Sri Lanka at the Dubai Cricket Stadium.
“The Sri Lankans, they play our spinners very well and they are also used to conditions here in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. It’s not really easy to get through their batting line-up.
“We are just discussing different plans how to go about that and how we can really get 20 wickets against them.”
The Pakistan left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman, who did not feature in the drawn first Test in Abu Dhabi, must be a central part of the discussion. Pakistan’s only win against Sri Lanka in those dozen Tests has come at Dubai and Rehman took four wickets in that match in 2011, dismissing Kumar Sangakkara in both the innings as the hosts prevailed by nine wickets.
Saeed Ajmal, 36, was the man of the match in that game, taking three for 45 and five for 68 in the two innings. But the off-spinner, Pakistan’s chief match-winner since making his Test debut in 2009, toiled for 49 overs in the second innings in Abu Dhabi and failed to get a wicket. It was the first instance in his Test career where he bowled 17 or more overs in the second innings and went wicketless.
“I think the subcontinent teams play spin a bit better and they face a lot of spin,” said Angelo Mathews, the Sri Lanka captain who scored an unbeaten 157 in the second innings at Abu Dhabi. “We’ve played him straight and we’ve not given him wickets, so that’s a good thing from our point of view.
“Each batsman had his own way and it’s up to each player to control him.
“But we are not thinking about Saeed only. They have four good bowlers. They could play maybe three fast bowlers and Saeed, or maybe two fast bowlers and another spinner. So we are looking at all four and be positive against them.”
Both Misbah and Mathews, however, know Ajmal gets a lot more help from the Dubai wicket than Abu Dhabi. In seven matches at the Dubai Sports City, he has taken 34 wickets at an average of 20.12 and a strike-rate of 47.06. In four matches at Abu Dhabi, those numbers are 18, 35.17 and 86.61.
“This [Dubai] pitch really gives him something, turn and a bit of bounce,” Misbah said. “Personally, I believe your psyche also plays a big role in your performances and I think psychologically he is more comfortable playing here in Dubai, because he has taken a lot of wickets here and has had a lot of success here.”
Both Pakistan and Ajmal, then, will be looking for a better showing over the coming five days.
The weather, however, could be a dampener. Both teams could not train on Tuesday because of rain and with more showers predicted for Wednesday, they might have to wait before they lock horns.
arizvi@thenational.ae
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