Test Cricket Prediction and Discussion Thread [self - mod]

[dezoel]

Sri Lanka is leading by 323 runs, with 5 wickets in hand. I don't think that Pakistan has got a chance in this match. If Sri Lanka could put another 80 or so runs on board, then it will be impossible for the Pakistani batsmen to chase this target. Anyway, Pakistani fans shouldn't get disheartened. There were enough positives for them so far in this series. And let's not forget the fact that even if Sri Lanka manages to win this test match, the series will be tied at 1-1. And also, they went to this test match without their best bowler.

A good fight back from Sri Lanka in this second test match, and now they are leading by 323 with 5 wickets in hand which is good, and surely they are going to touch 400+ lead tomorrow in first session because they have few good batsmen at the crease and Pakistan's fielding is surely not good enough in this match with batting is always unpredictable because they have history of these results.

If Sri Lanka won this match then surely we will have only two strong contenders for WTC 2023 final and these are Australia and India because most chances Pakistan could be out of this and South Africa is also having few chances because they are also going to face England and Australia in coming series.

Here again Pakistan done good fight in this series and still have good result draw which is acceptable for team and their fans.

[JSRAW]

Momentum is shifting towards Lankans a bit as pitch showing sign of deterioration in comparison to last test match, remember this is the same Galle Ground. Historically it's a spin hunting ground but for some weird reason it went completely flat in the last test match (4th-5th day).

SL would like to add 100 more runs just to be more safe if pitch gets better to bat on, which seems unlikely atm but you never know. We have seen some weird shit in recent time.

For Pakistan, well they need to wrap up Lankans as quickly as possible, no other options for them.

[Sithara007]

Momentum is shifting towards Lankans a bit as pitch showing sign of deterioration in comparison to last test match, remember this is the same Galle Ground. Historically it's a spin hunting ground but for some weird reason it went completely flat in the last test match (4th-5th day).

SL would like to add 100 more runs just to be more safe if pitch gets better to bat on, which seems unlikely atm but you never know. We have seen some weird shit in recent time.

For Pakistan, well they need to wrap up Lankans as quickly as possible, no other options for them.

180 overs remain, so I guess Lankans will use the first session to add another 100 runs or so, and then declare their innings. Pakistan will have a target of 400 plus, which will be impossible under the prevailing conditions. But aiming for a draw can be a better option. Can the Pakistani batsmen survive on 4th/5th day pitch for 150 overs? They did that during the first test, but how practical will that be for this match? No one expected Pakistan to win the first match, but they did it. Anyway, let's see how it goes from here.

[GigaBit]

~~~
Don't know if it has something to do with the pitch or it is just the inconsistent nature of Team Pakistan as you never know what's coming next on their part. 

Same pitch where Sri Lankans managed to put a total close to 400. The Pakistani spinners (Mohammad Nawaz and Yasir Shah) picked up 5 wickets between them, but they were expensive as well. But on the other hand, the Lankan spinners (Prabath Jayasuriya, Ramesh Mendis and Dhananjaya de Silva) never allowed the Pakistani batsmen to settle. I mentioned this before. The lack of quality spin options is becoming a big handicap for Pakistan, especially when they play against their South Asian rivals such as India and Sri Lanka.

Regardless of the situation, Pakistan must play a little more aggressively, although they appear to be under pressure and fear. Test cricket is something you predict until the match is over. On day three, we'll see where it ends, as SL currently has the upper hand. As a result, Sri Lanka spinners will dominate throughout the test match, which is already over and done with, a huge lead awaits the lions. Pakistani victory would require them to be dismissed below 150 in their second innings, which will be tough.

Despite Sri Lanka scoring big in the first Test, they were beaten in the end. Because in the end Pakistan performed very well. The second Test is also heading in the same direction but Sri Lanka will be relatively ahead here. Sri Lanka have already given a lead of 361 runs and they are still collecting good runs. Hope this match(2nd Test) will go under Sri Lanka.

[Sithara007]

Despite Sri Lanka scoring big in the first Test, they were beaten in the end. Because in the end Pakistan performed very well. The second Test is also heading in the same direction but Sri Lanka will be relatively ahead here. Sri Lanka have already given a lead of 361 runs and they are still collecting good runs. Hope this match(2nd Test) will go under Sri Lanka.

By now the lead has increased to 430 runs. There is hardly any chance for Pakistan now. Pakistani spinners have once again performed below par and allowed the lower order Sri Lankan batsmen to pile up runs. In all probability, Sri Lanka will make the declaration by lunch. The pitch looks quite flat, and it is not going to be easy for spinners from either side. But chasing such a big target can be overwhelming for the Pakistani players. I want to see their approach. Either they may go after the target, or they may play defensively, aiming for a draw.

[pakhitheboss]

Despite Sri Lanka scoring big in the first Test, they were beaten in the end. Because in the end Pakistan performed very well. The second Test is also heading in the same direction but Sri Lanka will be relatively ahead here. Sri Lanka have already given a lead of 361 runs and they are still collecting good runs. Hope this match(2nd Test) will go under Sri Lanka.

By now the lead has increased to 430 runs. There is hardly any chance for Pakistan now. Pakistani spinners have once again performed below par and allowed the lower order Sri Lankan batsmen to pile up runs. In all probability, Sri Lanka will make the declaration by lunch. The pitch looks quite flat, and it is not going to be easy for spinners from either side. But chasing such a big target can be overwhelming for the Pakistani players. I want to see their approach. Either they may go after the target, or they may play defensively, aiming for a draw.

Pakistan is in a very bad situation in this test match. At this point winning this test match is impossible for them. All they can now do is to try to draw this test match. Srilanka's performance has been very impressive in the match. It is a win win situation for them and in my opinion after lunch they should declare their innings, so that they will have a lot of time to bowl out Pakistan.

[romero121]

Pakistan is in a very bad situation in this test match. At this point winning this test match is impossible for them. All they can now do is to try to draw this test match. Srilanka's performance has been very impressive in the match. It is a win win situation for them and in my opinion after lunch they should declare their innings, so that they will have a lot of time to bowl out Pakistan.

Pakistan is in bad situation. The lower order of Sri Lanka have made a good contribution. More 3 wickets left for Sri Lanka will surely make them reach 480 - 500 runs. As it is the 4th day of the test, we can expect Sri Lanka to declare the innings at the earliest. If Pakistan look for a defensive approach it might loss wickets faster.

[Sithara007]

I don't exactly understand what Sri Lanka is trying to do here. I thought that they would declare by lunch, but they kept on batting. Dhananjaya de Silva is now batting along with Ramesh Mendis. The lead is now 471 runs and for Pakistan now it is an impossible target. But if Lankan batsmen keep on batting for too long, then it will get that much easier for the Pakistanis to target for a draw. At this point, 150 overs remain for this test match. I was expecting declaration somewhere at this stage. BTW, what happens if some of the overs are lost with rain interruption?  

[JSRAW]

I don't exactly understand what Sri Lanka is trying to do here. I thought that they would declare by lunch, but they kept on batting. Dhananjaya de Silva is now batting along with Ramesh Mendis. The lead is now 471 runs and for Pakistan now it is an impossible target. But if Lankan batsmen keep on batting for too long, then it will get that much easier for the Pakistanis to target for a draw. At this point, 150 overs remain for this test match. I was expecting declaration somewhere at this stage. BTW, what happens if some of the overs are lost with rain interruption?  

Pitch is not offering much spin to spinners except few odd balls, may be that's why they took late decision on declaration, also they are not taking any risk as last match turned out to be dud for SL's bowlers so they are playing for only 2 results now. Bowling out Pakistan and draw as they already batted out Pakistan.

Pakistani spinners were bowling shit, i get it pitch is not giving much but they were gifting freebies for no reason. Let's see how SL's spinners exploit this pitch.

508 runs to win

[Sithara007]

LOL.. Pakistan is one down. Abdullah Shafique is gone, and wicket taken by Prabath Jayasuriya. The latter now have 25 test wickets and he is playing only his third match. Babar Azam and Imam-ul-Haq are at the crease, but I don't expect any miracles. If the target was somewhere around 350, then there was the faintest chance. But anything above 500 is outright impossible, even with exceptional batsmen such as Babar. It is just a matter of time before Pakistan folds up and Sri Lanka is able to level this series 1-1.

[Webetcoins]

Momentum is shifting towards Lankans a bit as pitch showing sign of deterioration in comparison to last test match, remember this is the same Galle Ground. Historically it's a spin hunting ground but for some weird reason it went completely flat in the last test match (4th-5th day).

SL would like to add 100 more runs just to be more safe if pitch gets better to bat on, which seems unlikely atm but you never know. We have seen some weird shit in recent time.

For Pakistan, well they need to wrap up Lankans as quickly as possible, no other options for them.

180 overs remain, so I guess Lankans will use the first session to add another 100 runs or so, and then declare their innings. Pakistan will have a target of 400 plus, which will be impossible under the prevailing conditions. But aiming for a draw can be a better option. Can the Pakistani batsmen survive on 4th/5th day pitch for 150 overs? They did that during the first test, but how practical will that be for this match? No one expected Pakistan to win the first match, but they did it. Anyway, let's see how it goes from here.

Even in current situation things are heavily favoring Sri Lanka but still we can say all results possible because today surely 30 to 35 overs going to be for Sri Lankan batting lineup and after this we have another around 150+ overs for Pakistani batting lineup which is capable of giving surprises to world with their skills and talent. If Sri Lankan achieve 425+ then surely we are going to have just two options Sri Lanka win or Pakistan lost because draw is going to nothing just in case of rain we can expect this result otherwise result is surely coming from current situation.

Pakistani batting lineup already show how capable they are, but current pitch situation is also not good for batting, hopefully we will have entertaining end of this match and series.

[JSRAW]

Again bad light took almost 28 overs. There is virtually no chance of Pakistan winning this game but they do have chance of drawing the match as i feel we are going to lose more overs tomorrow due to bad light.

Pitch is still good to bat on if batters are set, for new batter it's bit tricky at start tho. If Imam-Babar duo get off good start tomorrow again and see off 1st session then draw is sure shot for Pak, if not then SL could make inroads into opposition's middle order.

[onecall123]

There is unfortunate news for Sri Lanka as bad light strikes again. It looks like a lot of overs were lost at the end of day four. It is now necessary for Sri Lanka to take 9 wickets tomorrow, while Pakistan must score 419 runs. As long as Imam-Babar get off to a good start tomorrow, the game seems to be heading towards a draw. In order to seal the victory in this series, their attitude must be to survive throughout the day and draw the game.

[Swordsoffreedom]

There is unfortunate news for Sri Lanka as bad light strikes again. It looks like a lot of overs were lost at the end of day four. It is now necessary for Sri Lanka to take 9 wickets tomorrow, while Pakistan must score 419 runs. As long as Imam-Babar get off to a good start tomorrow, the game seems to be heading towards a draw. In order to seal the victory in this series, their attitude must be to survive throughout the day and draw the game.

This match is most likely to be a draw. Several overs of gameplay on the fourth day were delayed due to rain. There is a chance of rain in the coming days as well. And Pakistan scored 87 runs for the loss of just 1 wicket. I think maybe Pakistan will win, otherwise if the fifth day's gameplay is delayed due to rain then the match will be a draw. Pakistan needs 419 runs to win. If the batsmen play well, there is a chance to win.

[noormcs5]

LOL.. Pakistan is one down. Abdullah Shafique is gone, and wicket taken by Prabath Jayasuriya. The latter now have 25 test wickets and he is playing only his third match. Babar Azam and Imam-ul-Haq are at the crease, but I don't expect any miracles. If the target was somewhere around 350, then there was the faintest chance. But anything above 500 is outright impossible, even with exceptional batsmen such as Babar. It is just a matter of time before Pakistan folds up and Sri Lanka is able to level this series 1-1.

By looking at the current score, i would say that this match will probably end in a draw. One thing is for sure Pakistan cannot win this match and Srilanka cannot lose this match.
In order for Sri Lanka to win this, they need to bowl at least 2 to 3 Pakistan batsmen, making them panic. If they survived the first 2 hours in the day, it will be hard for Srilanka to bowl them out on this pitch.

[BobK71]

There is unfortunate news for Sri Lanka as bad light strikes again. It looks like a lot of overs were lost at the end of day four. It is now necessary for Sri Lanka to take 9 wickets tomorrow, while Pakistan must score 419 runs. As long as Imam-Babar get off to a good start tomorrow, the game seems to be heading towards a draw. In order to seal the victory in this series, their attitude must be to survive throughout the day and draw the game.

In the 2nd Test, Sri Lanka set a good target but Pakistan will want to take advantage. They won't try to won the game but certainly they will keep trying to draw the match. Generally Pakistani batsman will try to set in the pitch and they will be more careful about their wicket. tomorrow we will enjoy a match of attacking bowling and defense batting. We have to wait finally what happens in the end.

[romero121]

There is unfortunate news for Sri Lanka as bad light strikes again. It looks like a lot of overs were lost at the end of day four. It is now necessary for Sri Lanka to take 9 wickets tomorrow, while Pakistan must score 419 runs. As long as Imam-Babar get off to a good start tomorrow, the game seems to be heading towards a draw. In order to seal the victory in this series, their attitude must be to survive throughout the day and draw the game.

In the 2nd Test, Sri Lanka set a good target but Pakistan will want to take advantage. They won't try to won the game but certainly they will keep trying to draw the match. Generally Pakistani batsman will try to set in the pitch and they will be more careful about their wicket. tomorrow we will enjoy a match of attacking bowling and defense batting. We have to wait finally what happens in the end.

The target is big, and the previous match target of 344 runs is the highest target chased in this ground. Even in the previous match it looked like Sri Lanka will win the match. At the end everything changed. In this match there is more chances of ending in a draw. Pakistan have begun the second innings in a very strong way. So, this Match is going to be more interesting.

[rojan]

There is unfortunate news for Sri Lanka as bad light strikes again. It looks like a lot of overs were lost at the end of day four. It is now necessary for Sri Lanka to take 9 wickets tomorrow, while Pakistan must score 419 runs. As long as Imam-Babar get off to a good start tomorrow, the game seems to be heading towards a draw. In order to seal the victory in this series, their attitude must be to survive throughout the day and draw the game.

In the 2nd Test, Sri Lanka set a good target but Pakistan will want to take advantage. They won't try to won the game but certainly they will keep trying to draw the match. Generally Pakistani batsman will try to set in the pitch and they will be more careful about their wicket. tomorrow we will enjoy a match of attacking bowling and defense batting. We have to wait finally what happens in the end.

If Pakistan try to play a little bit better then it will be very difficult for Sri Lanka to win the match.  Sri Lanka will have to work hard to win the match against Pakistan.  All the matches we have seen between Sri Lanka and Pakistan have been won by Pakistan.  Sri Lanka have won few matches.  Pakistan is a much stronger team than Sri Lanka.  They play very nice.

[pakhitheboss]

Babar Azam needs to play till the end today. In the first innings he just scored 16 runs and in this innings he has scored 26. If Pakistan ants to draw this match then he needs to be in the pitch till the end of day 5. Srilanka still in a very good position. All they need to do is to give more opportunities to Mendis and Jayasuriya.

[Sithara007]

Again bad light took almost 28 overs. There is virtually no chance of Pakistan winning this game but they do have chance of drawing the match as i feel we are going to lose more overs tomorrow due to bad light.

Pitch is still good to bat on if batters are set, for new batter it's bit tricky at start tho. If Imam-Babar duo get off good start tomorrow again and see off 1st session then draw is sure shot for Pak, if not then SL could make inroads into opposition's middle order.

Weather prediction says that thunderstorms are possible in the first half of the day. I posted this yesterday. Sri Lanka should have declared as soon as they got to a lead of 400+. But they kept on batting and now Pakistan has a real chance of winning the series 1-0. Pakistan need another 400 plus runs, but they have 9 wickets in hand. And also, both the batsmen seems to have settled in. But then again, given the fact that Pakistan is the most unpredictable team in cricket, I don't want to take either sides now and make a forecast.