Sri Lanka and Pakistan: Spinners will decide at Galle

Web Desk

15th Jul, 2022. 07:33 pm
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Sri Lanka and Pakistan meet in the first Test in Galle.
Both sides’ batting greats have passed away, and spinners will be key to the outcome.
Niroshan Dickwella is Sri Lanka’s leading wicket-taker against Pakistan.

Sri Lanka and Pakistan are third and fourth on the WTC table, respectively, and this series could make or break their prospects of making the final.

Throughout the middle of the last decade, Sri Lanka and Pakistan appeared to play the annual Test series. These were frequently hotly contested and provided fascinating cricket. The frenetic fourth-innings chase in Sharjah in early 2014, and the magnificent Younis Khan-led success in Pallekele the following year, stand out. There were also Rangana Herath routs in Abu Dhabi in 2017 and Galle in 2014.

Kumar Sangakkara’s dominance over Saeed Ajmal, Yasir Shah dominating a series in Sri Lanka in 2015, and Sri Lanka’s quicks occasionally outdoing Pakistan’s in the UAE are all examples of this. Perhaps this is a low-intensity rivalry, but the narratives have been constantly compelling.

In 2019, these teams played a series in Pakistan, in which the home team won 1-0. But, at least in Sri Lanka, this appears to be a new beginning. Both sides’ batting greats have passed away. Pakistan has dangerous young quicks, and despite a poor performance in the first Test against Australia, Sri Lanka’s batting is improving.

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However, because this is a Galle Test, spin is important, and this is where the greatest unknowns lie. Yasir will almost certainly return to the starting lineup, but will he be able to rekindle the magic of 2015? His most recent Test was in 2019, when he wasn’t particularly impressive in the warm-up match in Colombo, taking 86 for 1. Nauman Ali, the second possible spinner, went wicketless for 60 in the warm-up and grabbed 42.22 wickets in the last series against Australia, though that was on flat fields.

Sri Lanka will launch a confident but inexperienced offensive. Prabath Jayasuriya, who took a match-winning 12 wickets on debut last week, is almost expected to participate. Ramesh Mendis has been reasonably consistent, however, he has only played eight Tests. The other possible spinner, Maheesh Theekshana, has only played four first-class matches.

The impact of either side’s slow bowlers on the match may have a significant impact on the outcome.

Form guide

(completed matches, most recent first)

Sri Lanka WLWDL

Pakistan LDDWW

In the spotlight

Fawad Alam struggled against Australia, averaging 8.25 in four innings. Fawad’s righteous bouts with Pakistan’s selectors are the stuff of legend, partially due to that outrageously unorthodox set-up, which shouldn’t function. On debut in 2009, he scored 168 in Sri Lanka. Given his precarious ground, he’ll feel better with a couple of big scores this series.

In the recent series, there hasn’t been much proof that Niroshan Dickwella is Sri Lanka’s best wicketkeeper. In the series against Australia, he missed four stumpings, two of which were easy [although Alex Carey didn’t have a fantastic series either]. Dickwella’s place is under question due to his promising but insubstantial batting.

Stats and trivia

Pakistan has won 20 Tests to 16 they have lost against Sri Lanka. Even within Sri Lanka, they have a better-than-even record – they have won eight and lost only seven.

Dickwella’s best batting average is against Pakistan. He averages 40.55 against this opposition, with 365 runs across ten innings.

Yasir averages 19.33 in Sri Lanka, which is better than he averages anywhere else. He has only bowled in six innings and taken 24 wickets there, though, all in that 2015 series.

Sri Lanka sits third on the World Test Championship points table and Pakistan fourth. A 2-0 win for either could put them in with an outside chance of making the WTC final.