Misbah praises professional Pakistan

Monday, 31 October 2011 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Captain Misbah-ul Haq praised a “thorough professional performance” by the Pakistan team that enabled them to beat Sri Lanka by nine wickets in the second Test on Saturday.

Off-spinner Saeed Ajmal, man of the match for his 5-68, led an impressive bowling display to help Pakistan dismiss Sri Lanka for 257 in their second innings.

Pakistan then knocked off the required 94-run target for the loss of one wicket to wrap up the match on the fourth day.

The victory gave Pakistan a 1-0 lead in the three-Test series after the first Test ended in a draw at Abu Dhabi last week. The third and final Test starts in Sharjah from November 3.

Misbah said his team put up a brilliant effort to knock out Sri Lanka, who are placed fifth in the Test rankings - one place higher than Pakistan.

“I think it was a thorough professional performance and I am really happy about our progress,” said Misbah, who now has four wins in nine matches since taking over amid the post spot-fixing scandal last year.

He has lost only one Test and drew the remaining four.

“I don’t know my record as captain, all I know is that each and every player takes his responsibility and it’s well done to the team,” said Misbah, who praised his bowlers for keeping pressure on a weary Dubai Stadium pitch.

“I think our bowlers put a lot of pressure, we got Kumar Sangakkara early. His was the key wicket because he is a world-class player and that boosted our confidence and put theirs down,” said Misbah.

Sri Lanka, resuming the day at 88-1 had looked to Sangakkara to stay longer, like he did in the first Test to score a match-saving 211, but the former captain added just one to his overnight score of 29 before falling leg-before.

Only opener Tharanga Paranavitana (72) and Angelo Mathews (52 not out) offered resistance against the Pakistani attack, with left-arm spinner Abdul Rehman and left-arm paceman Junaid Khan chipping in with two wickets each.

Mohammad Hafeez, with a fiery unbeaten 59, and Azhar Ali (29) helped Pakistan achieve the target after they lost opener Taufiq Umar for one.

Misbah said he decided to play with two spinners after taking into account the behaviour of the pitch in previous matches.

“I think we have played a lot of cricket here and normally this pitch helps the spinners and I took my mind back and on the basis of that decided to play with two spinners and that was the key,” said Misbah.

“Ajmal is a world class spinner and a match winner and so is Rehman and they did very well for us.”

Sri Lankan captain Tillakaratne Dilshan blamed poor batting for defeat.

“The batsmen should apply themselves. They must trust their own game plan and play their own game. If we had got 350 runs in the first innings, it would have been a different game,” said Dilshan, whose team was bowled out for 239.

“As a batting group, we have to improve and come stronger.

Bowlers again did a good job, but we have to keep our heads high and come hard in the third Test,” said Dilshan, who has yet to win a Test in eight attempts as captain.