Sri Lanka vs Pakistan Live Match Highlights 2012

Have Pakistan healthier from Sunday's fright? They will be eager the reply to that inquiry is a "Yes" because they have completely no time to consider over their incredible loss in the 4th ODI; the final match will be played with only a day's take it easy in between. The company looked like the better side in the early part of the tour - the T20 series was communal and the hosts were thump convincingly in the opening ODI at Pallekele stadium. However, things misrepresented quite quickly from there on as Sri Lanka showed why they're so well-built at home, goodbye Pakistan in a do or die state of affairs as they go into the final match.

The Sri Lanka seemed to have troubles with their top order in the first half of the tour but they have addressed that in fast time. Their main players - Dilshan, Sangakkara and Captain Mahela Jayawardene have scored some helpful runs - Dilshan made a century in the second ODI while Sangakkara missed it by just 3 runs in the fourth. However, they will be on tenterhooks for better donations from the likes of Tharanga and Chandimal, as the respite of the batting order hasn't made it big yet. Jayawardene has anchored the middle order with a pair of good knocks and will be the key once again if the rest of the batsmen fail. 

Pakistan vs Sri Lanka 5th ODI Live Match 2012

The star in the bowling lineup has been a bit of a disclosure - Thisara Perera. The all-rounder has come from nowhere and upset the Pakistani batsmen with his tender progress, preference total of 10 wickets from the 3 games played. The reckoning included a dramatic hat-trick in the earlier game, which sparked a crumple that left Pakistan totally surprised. Malinga, Kulasekara and Mathews have supported Perera well and spinner Weerakoon did a decent job in the only opportunity he got.

Only Pakistan can lose matches the way they did in the before ODI. From 166-2 to 199 all out with as many as 5 ducks in between, the guest distorted in a dramatic style and spoilt their odds of a series win in Sri Lanka. There is now a real threat that Pakistan will undo all the good work done in the last couple of years, as they are presentation signs of going back to their bad times. The reasons for their victims in the recent past have been the same that gave them the tag erratic - batting collapses - and they need to address it soon. The opening grouping is unstable again, their batsmen are playing sudden increase shots, and to make it not as good as their best batsmen in the line up - Younis Khan - is awfully out of form (he has scored only 97 runs in his last 9 ODIs). His unfortunate form has forced changes in the batting order and leaves a vast void in the middle order, in turn putting more stress on captain Misbah and the other top order batsmen. With time running out and calls for his head rising strength by the day, Younis has to come up with an unusual show in the final ODI to silence his critics and defend his place.

The helpful sign for Pakistan is the form of Azhar Ali, but will look for better efforts and accountability from Umar Akmal and co in the lesser order to evade collapses like the one in the earlier ODI. The bowling, as always, has the variations and the equilibrium to strike big on any given day.

Final word: Sri Lanka look to be the team in form at the moment, but given Pakistan's unpredictability, it is hard to write them off. None of that will matter though, if rain has the final say..
Teams: Pakistan (From): Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Sami, Saeed Ajmal, Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Akmal, Umar Gul, Misbah-ul-Haq(c), Abdur Rehman, Aizaz Cheema, Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali, Imran Farhat, Rahat Ali, Sarfraz Ahmed(w), Younis Khan Sri Lanka (From): Mahela Jayawardene(c), Dinesh Chandimal, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Nuwan Kulasekara, Lasith Malinga, Angelo Mathews, Thissara Perera, Kumar Sangakkara(w), Sachithra Senanayake, Upul Tharanga, Lahiru Thirimanne, Jeevan Mendis, Nuwan Pradeep, Dilhara Fernando, Sajeewa Weerakoon