SHARJAH // Dav Whatmore will preside over his final day in office as Pakistan coach on Monday sustained by the hope his side can still eke out an unlikely victory.
With five wickets still to take on a bone-hard Sharjah batting strip against batsman who have no obligation other than to block for a draw, his wish of signing off with a halved series looks far-fetched.
Sri Lanka held a 220-run lead overnight, as well as a 1-0 advantage in the series. The fact their captain Angelo Mathews, one of the not-out batsmen, has taken 99 deliveries over the 14 runs he has scored is a signal of their intentions.
Given the hangdog look Whatmore has worn on most workdays since it was announced he was parting ways with Pakistan in November, he probably cannot wait for the end to arrive this afternoon.
A victory would be a satisfying full stop on a two-year term that he deemed a “very pleasing experience” at the close of play on Day 4.
“The game is nicely poised going in to the last day,” Whatmore said.
“It will be a very interesting fifth day. We just need five more wickets quickly so I think it will be a very important first hour and we take it from there as it goes along.
“We really expect to continue to create chances. You can’t win a Test match in a session so you need to continue to chip away at them and when the chances come, take them.
“Every game we play we play to win, so we will go all out to do the best we can to achieve that result.”
The slowness of the playing surface here has meant that play has not so much meandered as ground to an almost complete halt.
Sri Lanka’s innings run rate lies at a pitiful 1.87 per over. But then, with a series lead and the prospect of a rare away win so close, they are not compelled to chase the game.
Pakistan were, though, and that explained why they eventually sacrificed a lead to the Sri Lankans as their batsmen chased quick runs on a pitch designed to do the opposite.
Rangana Herath took five wickets for 125 with his left-arm spin.
His success contrasted with the meagre pickings of Saeed Ajmal, Pakistan’s off-spinner who now has three wickets from a monstrous match workload of 73 overs.
“If you have seen the first two Test matches you will know the wickets have not favoured the spin bowlers,” Whatmore said.
“Rangana Herath picked up five today because it gave him more assistance than it has done in the previous two games.
“Saeed Ajmal is still a world-class performer. All world-class performers need a little bit of encouragement from the wicket and we haven’t had that.”
Shaminda Eranga’s four for 60 were the best figures of his short Test career so far, and reflected the fact success could be achieved by the pace bowlers.
The seamer has impressed on his first trip to the UAE, even though the conditions have not been in his favour.
“Pitches like this do come along and you can’t do anything about it,” said the 27-year-old medium-pacer.
“You can’t get discouraged. You just have to do what you can for your team, try to bowl wicket to wicket, cross seam, slower balls or reverse-swing.
Of the final day, he said: “We will be looking for partnerships so we can build a bigger lead to make sure we are out of danger.”
pradley@thenational.ae
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