Test cricket returns to Pakistan this week when Sri Lanka head to that part of the world to face the hosts in what is a two match series which could change the current cricketing landscape if it is successful.
Rawalpindi has the honour of staging the first Test in Pakistan for some 10 years so this is a huge occasion. This series is included in the World Test Championship so there is plenty on the line over the next two weeks.
Pakistan
One thing we know about Pakistan is they are going to have to put up a much better showing than they did in the recent two match series against Australia where they were outclassed with the bat and the ball. Clearly home conditions will assist them in that regard, although to be fair it has been so long since Test cricket has been played in Pakistan, in terms of the pitch and how it behaves, they could be forgiven for thinking this was a neutral venue.
Although the scores won’t suggest it, I thought Pakistan shows good signs with the bat at times but when they lost wickets they fell in bunches and that is always going to undo any hard work that has gone before it. I would expect Pakistan to bat with proficiency in these matches so their chances of winning or otherwise could come down to what they can attract with the ball. With the Nasir Jamshed revelations the Pakistan side will be glad to be able to focus on cricket.
Sri Lanka
It hasn’t exactly been the best of times for Sri Lanka recently either but they have turned the corner this year with a series win in South Africa and then holding New Zealand and so they will head to Pakistan confident, especially as they have near enough a full squad to choose from, unlike when they visited for a limited overs leg of proceedings a short while ago. Interestingly former Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur is now in the Sri Lanka camp too.
Unlike Pakistan though, you would think that the outcome of this series from a Sri Lankan point of view will come in how well their batsmen get on. They should have the variety and confidence in their bowling attack to deliver the goods but their batting has been known to look a little flimsy. If they can sort that out moving forward then they might yet threaten making it through to the final four in the World Test Championship.
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Team News
Pakistan have recalled Fawad Alam to their squad and he could get a first match in this format in some 10 years. Mohammad Musa has been left out of the squad so Usman Shinwari could well feature here.
Sri Lanka will be without Suranga Lakmal for this series after he was diagnosed with Dengue fever so it will be down to Nuwan Pradeep to lead the attack in his absence. Senior players like Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Mathews are in the touring party.
Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium
There have been eight previous matches on this ground with the last of them coming back in 2004. Pakistan have won three and lost three here with a couple of draws on top. One of those defeats came on the only past occasion that Sri Lanka have played here in 2000. There is no recent form on the ground though so how relevant that record is remains to be seen.
Although it was a long time ago and the game has changed since then, this was never the highest scoring ground doing the rounds in Test cricket. Generally wickets in Pakistan are good for batting though although the abrasive squares always keep the bowlers in the game. We can expect plenty of turn as the match goes on too.
Betting
I’m not going to get too massively involved in this opening match because there are far too many variables and questions we don’t have the answer for to be able to punt with any true confidence. That will hopefully chance for the second Test next week but for now I’ll start things off with just the one bet, which comes in the player performance markets.
That comes in the form of Yasir Shah, a man who caught the eye with the bat rather than the ball in Australia which should only strengthen his scoring potential in this match given the much more spin friendly conditions he will be weaving his magic in here. His line is 120.5 but when you think he scored 26, 42 and 113 in Australia you could be forgiven for thinking a decent chunk of this total will be covered with the bat. It might mean we only need four wickets from him which is well within his range. Once again however he does it I think he reaches 121pts at least over the five days.
Tips
VOID – Back Y.Shah’s Performance – Over 120.5pts for a 4/10 stake at 1.83 with Betfair
Back him here:
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