Not many individuals expected Sri Lanka to make a daring comeback against Pakistan in the first Test at Abu Dhabi, which seemed to be heading for a dull draw after the first four days.
All it took was a magical spell from the crafty Rangana Herath to turn the game on its head. Defending 136, Sri Lanka were all over Pakistan as Herath ran riot to hand his team a win by 21 runs. The second Test at Dubai now thus, has even more spotlight and credibility as Sri Lanka cannot be understated as an opposition. Playing under lights with the pink ball will surely make for some serious viewing as the trend of the day and night Tests so far has seen bowlers getting their fair share of appreciation as well.
For Pakistan, the likes of Haris Sohail and Asad Shafiq hold the aces in the middle order. Now that Misbah Ul Haq and Younis Khan are no longer there, these talented batsmen need to step up. The top four comprising of openers Shan Masood and Sami Aslam, Azhar Ali and Babar Azam are way too defensive and in their shell.
Thereby the role of someone as free-flowing as Sohail becomes even more important, as he can get the scoreboard ticking quickly and put the pressure back on the opposition.
On the eve of the game, Pakistan skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed admitted it would be vital to tackle Herath.
“We will do our best to be more positive against Herath,” said Ahmed. “We have never lost in UAE, so it’s also important to keep that record intact.”