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Dubai: Misbah-ul Haq will look for an improved performance from his fielders to menace Sri Lanka in the second Test which starts at Dubai sports city stadium from Wednesday.
Pakistan snatched a draw from the jaws of a win by dropping as many as seven catches to let the Sri Lankans off in the first Test in Abu Dhabi last week, leaving the three-Test series tied.
Led by left-arm paceman Junaid Khan (5-38), Pakistan rocked Sri Lanka to a low score of 197 after Misbah won the toss and elected to field and then took a huge 314-run lead on the back of a career-best 236 from Taufiq Umar.
But then the fielders spoiled a good chance of pressing for a win when they dropped six catches on the fourth day, allowing opener Lahiru Thirimanne (68) and Kumar Sangakkara five chances between them.
Sangakkara, who notched 211, then punished Pakistan for their sloppy fielding by putting together a record 201-run stand for the sixth wicket with Prasanna Jayawardene who scored 120 to salvage a draw for Sri Lanka.
Misbah hoped his players will work hard to overcome fielding weaknesses.
Since Misbah took over in the post spot-fixing scandal in England last year, which ended in bans for former Test captain Salman Butt, Pakistan have not lost a series and the skipper feels the Abu Dhabi draw is not going to affect them.
Pakistan can bring in left-arm paceman Wahab Riaz in place of Aizaz Cheema who managed a wicket in each of the two innings despite bowling a hostile spell on the first day.
Taufeeq Umar, who batted 12 hours for a double-century in Abu Dhabi, had a finger injury during the Test that prevented him from fielding in the slips. Interim coach Mohsin Khan said Umar Gul also had a few niggles, but nothing serious. Both should be fit to play, and if there are no other fitness issues, expect Pakistan to name an unchanged XI.
Sri Lanka can also bring in off-spinner Suraj Randiv in place of any of the two seamers Nuwan Pradeep or Suranga Lakmal if the Dubai stadium pitch has any chance to help the spinners.
Captain Tillakaratne Dilshan said his team will have the psychological advantage after avoiding defeat in the first match.
Under Dilshan, Sri Lanka have not won a Test, losing 1-0 to both England and Australia in each of the three-Test series.
Dilshan hoped his batsmen put up a better show in the first innings.
Dilshan was worried about his own batting form, after having scored just one half-century in the last four Tests.
Sri Lanka could tinker with their bowling attack, considering the one used in Abu Dhabi struggled to make an impact. Nuwan Pradeep went wicketless on debut. Their bowling bench-strength comprises fast bowler Dhammika Prasad and offspinner Suraj Randiv. The inability of Mathews to bowl severely affects the balance of their team because there is space for only four specialist bowlers and no allrounder.
Teams from
Pakistan Misbah-ul-Haq (captain), Abdur Rehman, Adnan Akmal (wk), Aizaz Cheema, Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali, Imran Farhat, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Hafeez, Saeed Ajmal, Shoaib Malik, Taufeeq Umar, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz, Younis Khan
Sri Lanka TM Dilshan (capt), AD Mathews, LD Chandimal, ANPR Fernando, HMRKB Herath, DPMD Jayawardene, HAPW Jayawardene (wk), S Randiv, CKB Kulasekara, RAS Lakmal, NT Paranavitana, KTGD Prasad, KC Sangakkara, JK Silva (wk), HDRL Thirimanne, UWMBCA Welegedara
Pitch and conditions
The temperatures are expected to be in the mid-30s but the pitch temperature will be a few degrees higher. Tillakaratne Dilshan said he expected the pitch to have more bounce than the one in Abu Dhabi did. "A good test wicket," he called it.
Stats and trivia
Match facts
October 26-30, Dubai
Start time 1000 local (0600 GMT)
