Pakistan power too much for Sri Lanka

On their Independence Day, Pakistan came back into the Morocco Cup 2002 with an emphatic display of batting, and quality bowling for a comfortable win against Sri Lanka.

The 28-runs separating the two teams does not quite reflect Pakistan's dominance, apart from the brief period when Sanath Jayasuriya went after Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram with hammer and tongs.

Younis Khan, awarded man of the match, and Abdul Razzaq lit up the grey skies with two cameos of such remarkable, power-packed strokeplay that took the Lankans' breath away. Between them the two young bucks, imbued with such zest and vigour, clobbered the Lankan bowling for an unconquered even 50 off merely 22 deliveries to take the Pakistan total leap-frogging to 279. Such was the late flurry that a massive 99 runs were gathered in the last 10 overs. Saeed Anwar and Inzamam-ul-Haq had contributed solid fifties to keep the Pakistan innings on track.

Chasing this stiff target, Jayasuriya, who must have regretted putting Pakistan in after winning the toss, tore into the Pakistan attack. He clubbed seven fours in his 33-ball 36, but once he was back in the pavilion, dismissed off Wasim Akram through a brilliant catch by Imran Nazir at point, none amongst the Lankans was up to the challenge.

With Jayasuriya gone, the Pakistani bowlers came into their own, with Abdul Razzaq, Mohammad Sami and Shahid Afridi bowling tight spells.

Backed up by some athletic fielding, Pakistan retrieved the situation considerably in the middle overs. As a result, by the end of the 30th over, Sri Lanka had reached 141/2 and the asking rate was hovering around seven runs an over. That meant conceding just 59 runs between over Nos 16 and 30, in exchange for the vital wicket of Sangakkara (38, 53 balls, five fours), topedging the pull with Wasim Akram taking a good catch at square leg.

The task was getting steeper and the trio of Sami, Razzaq and Afridi was giving nothing away. Sami bowled a lively pace, mostly in the region 145 km/h, and with a lot of control. Razzaq too was spot-on, while Afridi was economy personified.

This was in sharp contrast to the first-spell figures of Waqar Younis (five overs, none for 38) and Wasim Akram (six overs, one for 29).

Success in stopping the flow of runs was of crucial importance, and with the asking rate consistently getting higher, the pressure and anxiety level of the Lankans was on the rise. The boundaries were scant, and progress at snail's pace. And then wickets kept falling at regular intervals, with almost all the batsmen consuming too many deliveries for too small a contribution to the cause of the team.

The pile-up was so huge that by the time 41st over began, Lankans needed 94 runs with six wickets intact. Having tightened the screws, Pakistan didn't let up at the finish, and the Lankan batsmen had little fire in the belly to break their vice-like grip on the goings-on. Though Russel Arnold (unbeaten 37 off 37 deliveries) and Chaminda Vaas (31 off 25) struck a few boundaries, but it was too little too late. The chase that had started with such belligerence ended in a whimper.

Earlier Saeed Anwar (70, off 77 deliveries, seven fours, one six) and Inzamam-ul-Haq (63, off 95 balls, four fours, two sixes) posting attractive fifties, the Lankans had things pretty much under control. That is until Younis and Razzaq went after the bowling in a tremendous display of powerful stroke-making. In the process, Chaminda Vaas and Pulsathy Gunaratne had their previously good figures destroyed.

In sharp contrast to the previous match, the Pakistanis were intent on playing more organised, sensible cricket, and got the partnerships going. And though there were a few soft dismissals (Youhana, Afridi and Anwar), the innings never lost the momentum only because these came after decent gaps.

With his career in serious jeopardy, Anwar made his 42nd score of 50-plus, his first major innings since his comeback. It was a cautious, workmanlike innings, yet interspersed with some vintage Anwar strokes. He predominantly scored on the off-side, as is his wont when he is not short of self-confidence.

He started off with a four off Gunaratne in the covers, an exquisite drive reminiscent of his prime, lost his partner Imran Nazir, leg before to a Vaas delivery that pitched on the leg-stump and veered in to find him plumb in front. But Anwar, in partnership with Youhana, went on and on. And once Youhana (32, 55 balls, four fours) was gone, quite needlessly fiddling with a Fernando delivery outside the off-stump with Sangakkara taking the catch behind the stumps, Anwar carried on with Inzamam at the other end.

After he had clouted Chandana for a six to square-leg and a four to point in the same over, the bowler finally had his revenge by getting him through an inside edge. Afridi, promoted in the order, swept Jayasuriya out of the ground but then threw caution to the winds on the first delivery after the water break against Muralitharan, hoicking it straight down the throat of widish-square-leg.

Inzamam, in the meanwhile hit Chandana for a six before he got to his 62nd fifty, extending the world record for scores of 50-plus, and Murali. When he got out, the bottom edge sending the ball skywards, Younis and Razzaq came together.

Younis, Pakistan's most improved one-day batsman in recent times, was already scoring at better than a run ball. Razzaq did even better, scoring at better than two runs per delivery. Between them, they clouted four sixes and seven fours and made the last Vaas over count for 25 to take Pakistan to 279 - an extremely competitive total on a good batting wicket.

It turned out to be the winning one, with the margin not much more than what Vaas conceded in his last over.