Pakistan tour of Sri Lanka

[DexteR]

Pakistan will tour Sri Lanka in June for three Tests, five one-day internationals and two Twenty20 matches.

The Pakistanis will kick off the six-week tour with two Twenty20 matches in the southern port town of Hambantota on June 1 and June 3.
The first two one-day internationals will be played in Pallekele on June 7 and June 9, followed by the remaining three at the Premadasa stadium in Colombo on June 13, 16 and 18.


The three back-to-back Tests will be held in Galle (June 22-26), the Sinhalese sports club in Colombo (June 30-July 4) and Pallekele (July 8-12).


Pakistan last toured Sri Lanka in 2009 where they lost the Test series 2-0.
The two sides met in the United Arab Emirates last year where Pakistan won both the Test and one-day series and also clinched the lone Twenty20 international.


Tour itinerary:
June 1 : First Twenty20 international, Hambantota
June 3 : Second Twenty20 international, Hambantota
June 7 : First one-dayer, Pallekele
June 9 : Second one-dayer, Pallekele
June 13: Third one-dayer, Colombo
June 16: Fourth one-dayer, Colombo
June 18: Fifth one-dayer, Colombo
June 22-26: First Test, Galle
June 30-July 4: Second Test, Colombo
July 8-12: Third Test, Pallekele.

[Nida_Ali_Nido]

draw ho gaya ab to samjho

[Vampire]

haan na barish rehmat ban gayi Sri Lanka k liye

Pak 551/6 dec
SL 391/10
Pak 50/0 10 overs
Leads by 210 runs
over remainings 47

[Nida_Ali_Nido]

drawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

Oh come on we cud have easily won

[Vampire]

nahi ab kuch nahi hosakta junaid Khan man of the match

[Nida_Ali_Nido]

meka matlab tha agr barish na hoi hoti to jeet jaty aram se

[Vampire]

haan na Barish hogayi aur jeet ko saath baha k le gayi

[DexteR]

Seamers rattle Pakistan top order (once again!)

Mahela Jayawardene was made to rue his decision to field on a highway at the SSC, but the conditions in Pallekele were markedly different and his seamers went about justifying bowling first on a track with some life. The moisture in the pitch, which had been under covers for a while with the rain around, and a hint of grass gave the Sri Lankan bowlers enough encouragement to gain an early advantage. They responded well, getting swing, movement off the pitch, creating chances, out-thinking the Pakistan batsmen and bowling with excellent stamina - Nuwan Kulasekara bowled a ten-over opening spell, and Thisara Perera bowled nine on the trot.

The first sign of hope for the seamers appeared in the first ball, when Kulasekara was able to swing it in prodigiously and move it further towards the batsman off the pitch. His new-ball partner Perera, replacing the offspinner Suraj Randiv in the XI, promised to make an early impact, mostly moving the ball the other way. It helped that the Pakistan openers also batted positively, keen to not let go of a chance in testing conditions.

Mohammad Hafeez got going with a sliced boundary off Perera, followed up by a well-timed punch through extra cover. Both he and Taufeeq Umar were edgy against deliveries bowled in the channel outside off, but at ease when dealing with those that strayed on the pads, cashing in almost each time. Taufeeq was more fortuitous of the two. Kulasekara attacked with three slips, a gully and a short leg, and removed the option of Taufeeq walking down the track to counter the swing - as he had done at the SSC - by having the keeper standing up to the stumps. As he moved it away, Taufeeq flirted with one but was dropped at first slip; when he tried to close the face, a leading edge cut its way between gully and third slip.

In the eighth over, Perera beat Hafeez with one that held its line before prompting a leading edge when he tried to work it square. Perera had his reward shortly after, as he slipped in a fuller delivery, had Hafeez playing forward and slightly away from his body, not expecting the ball to swing and then dart back in to clean him up through the gate. In his next over, Perera targeted Azhar Ali, rapping him on the pads with an inswinger, then beating him completely with the away-going delivery and having him chasing a wide one next ball to hand a catch to gully.

Kulasekara dislodged Younis Khan in similar fashion, following up an indipper with one in the corridor that prompted Younis to feather a low catch to the keeper. When Taufeeq played down the wrong line, trying to force Perera through midwicket to be trapped in front, an ardous task lay ahead for Misbah-ul-Haq and the middle order to rebuild. Sri Lanka held Dilhara Fernando back until the 25th over, employing Angelo Mathews and Rangana Herath before him. Misbah and Asad Shafiq quietly saw off the second hour, reasonably adept against spin and a shorter length from the other two seamers.

[DexteR]

145 for 5. Misbah out. 200 is now a difficult proposition altogether.

[DexteR]

Pakistan 226/10
Sri Lanka 44/3
Stumps on Day 1.
Pakistan in a good position at close of play!!!

@Vampire;
@sheem;
@Nida_Ali_Nido;

[DexteR]

Umer Gul reacts after being dismissed.