RAWALPINDI: The grass covering at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium pitch may have raised Sri Lanka’s hopes of making early inroads into Pakistan’s batting line-up, but the opening day of the first Test proved that appearances can be deceptive.
Expecting assistance for their four-pronged pace attack, Sri Lanka opted to field after winning the toss, anticipating that the green-tinged surface would offer enough movement to trouble Pakistan’s batsmen. However, the hosts responded with determination and composure, frustrating the visitors’ plans and finishing the opening day at 281 for five.
Sri Lanka’s bowling coach Ryan van Niekerk admitted that his side had expected early breakthroughs but found the surface different from what they had initially anticipated. More importantly, Pakistan’s top-order batsmen showed the resolve and application required to counter the visitors’ pace battery.
“We thought there was enough in the wicket for the pace bowlers. The ball was moving and deviating quite a bit. More importantly, Pakistan’s top-order batsmen made it difficult for our bowlers to run through the innings,” van Niekerk said while reflecting on the opening day.
Despite the unexpected resistance, the Sri Lankan coach was not disappointed with the nature of the pitch, describing it as a genuine Test surface that demanded patience, discipline and hard work from fast bowlers.
He believed the hard surface underneath the grass required bowlers to hit the deck hard rather than simply rely on conventional swing or seam movement. “It is a wicket where you have to bend your back to get assistance. There is a hard surface underneath, which demands banging the ball in rather than expecting movement,” he explained.
Van Niekerk remained optimistic about his bowlers’ prospects on the second day, Tuesday, saying they had gradually adjusted to the conditions and were now better equipped to exploit the surface.
He pointed out that Sri Lanka’s bowlers had beaten the bat 61 times during the opening day’s play, an indication that they had created opportunities despite Pakistan’s resistance.
“Now that we have realised the nature of the wicket, we hope to restrict Pakistan on Tuesday. I still believe our bowlers adjusted with time on the opening day and, in the process, bowled 61 deliveries that beat the bat. That is a big number, particularly considering how well Pakistan’s newcomers were playing,” he said.
The Sri Lankan coach also reserved special praise for Pakistan’s debutants, Mohammad Taha and Tayyab Arif, who showed considerable maturity under pressure on their first appearance at the highest level.
He acknowledged that making a Test debut on a surface offering assistance to fast bowlers was never an easy proposition, but the two young batsmen handled the challenge impressively and played an important role in taking Pakistan to a commanding position.
“Pakistan played well, especially the two newcomers. It is never easy to adjust to such conditions at the outset of your career. They did well to take Pakistan to 281 for five on the opening day,” he maintained.
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