This indeed was a most outstanding effort and likely to be a title-winning one.

The hallmark of the stand was mostly rotation of strike and not big strokes. A low risk, high dividend strategy which helped the team’s cause a great deal, in the end providing the bowling attack more than enough space to go for the kill.

Imran Nazir made another score of 50-plus, his 63 (61 deliveries, 10 fours, 1 six) provided Pakistan the kind of start they needed. Though Shahid Afridi pressed the self-destruct mode once again after a spectacular start, Rashid Latif’s promotion to number three proved to be a non-starter and Inzamam-ul-Haq too ran himself out, Pakistan was never in trouble. The innings was given momentum with a stroke filled stand of 85 for the third wicket between Nazir and Youhana, and then 155 for the fourth wicket which only got disrupted but with only with two balls of the regulation 50 overs to go.

Trying to find the boundary, Younis holed out on the leg side, and Youhana got dismissed in similar fashion next ball. But by then the deed had been done, and Razzaq, who only got the final delivery to play, punched it for a four.

Youhana (129, 131 balls, eight fours, 3 sixes) and Younis (66, 71 balls, 3 fours) got together at exactly half-way stage, after Inzamam’s dismissal. And they took the total from 136 to 291, providing thrust and substance to the Pakistan innings. It was a very organised effort, only sprinkled with the boundaries. Though Youhana hit three sixes in the latter part of his innings, giving Chandana, Dharmasena and Vaas the treatment, mostly it was very well-calculated singles and twos which were the order of the day. To the extent, that Younis, who completed his 1,000 runs in ODIs in the process, had just three fours in a score of 66. He obviously has learned his lesson well, and the association of Youhana for a long spell in the middle too may have helped.

Anyway, the Pakistanis have put up the total on the board; it was now for the Lankans to chase it. With the asking rate bordering on 6, 5.9 to be exact, it would indeed take some doing.

Youhana, solid as ever, had worked his way past 50 (51 off 62 deliveries, 6 four) and then jumping out of his crease clouted leg-spinner Upul Chandana for a six over the mid-wicket fence. He and Younis seemed resolute on further consolidation without losing wickets before the final charge in the slog overs.

Youhana had been off to a brisk start, with boundaries off Zoysa and Vaas and then slamming Chandika Buddhika for three fours in one over, two of them guided delicately to the fine third man region with ‘keeper Sangakkara watching helplessly. Afterwards he settled down to play a sedate innings, with every intention of batting till the very fag end.

After having made his second score of 50-plus in as many games, Imran Nazir seemed to be good for many more runs till Chandana bowled him through the gate in his first over. But by then Nazir (63, off 61 deliveries, 10 fours and a six) had already provided a platform for a sizable total.

And though Inzamam got himself run out, Youhana and Younis batted on without a care in the world. By the end of 35th over, the two had put on unbeaten 50 for the fifth wicket, and with all-rounders yet to come, Pakistan definitely seemed well prime for the late charge.

Together the two put together an unfinished stand of 50 for the third wicket in only 48 balls to offset the loss of two early wickets. What is worse, the ace Lankan off-spinner Muthiah Muralitharan had injured his left shoulder while trying to stop a brisk run at mid-wicket, and was rushed off to hospital. It was a serious blow, and Muralitharan looked in bad shape; whether he would be able to take field in the match remains to be seen.

As Pakistan won the toss and quite predictably elected to bat, Imran Nazir and Shahid Afridi started where they had left off in the previous match against the Black Caps. Nazir drove Vaas to the cover boundary twice in two overs, and in the meanwhile Afridi clouted Zoysa for a six at long-off. Next over, Afridi (14, off 9 deliveries, 2 sixes) went after Zoysa again, but Dharmasena dropped him over the third man fence. Perhaps thinking that he was indestructible, he went for yet another six and was caught on the square leg fence.

At 25 for one, rather inexplicably Rashid Latif was promoted to number three; he stayed there for seven deliveries until he got himself out, caught in the cover by Jaywardene trying to force Vaas.

But Nazir by now was well settled, and Youhana too was middling the ball from the word go. The two of them went after the bowling, unleashing a dazzling array of shots. Both were going so strong that Jayasuriya, who is normally so circumspect that he gives extended 7-over spells to Vaas and Zoysa had already made two changes by the 11th over.

The biggest danger for Sri Lanka lies in Pakistan's explosive top-order. Shahid Afridi, coming off one of his trademark blazing hundreds, is in fine form and could take the game away from Sri Lanka right at the start. Admittedly Sri Lanka's left-arm seamers are sharper and more incisive than New Zealand's opening bowlers, but that would matter little to an Afridi on the rampage.

Not that Sri Lanka don't have the firepower to counter-attack. Sanath Jayasuriya, Marvan Atapattu, Mahela Jayawardene and Russel Arnold have all shown glimpses of form during the tournament, and if they all click at the same time, Pakistan will have a fight on their hands.

The weather, hot and humid, is typical Sharjah; the humidity, in fact, is expected to increase as the day progresses. But that has not stopped the crowds from cramming into the stadium, the fans all prepared with their banners and signs.

Pakistan have made no changes to their winning side from Monday. Sri Lanka, however, have dropped T Dilshan from their last combination, bringing in Buddika Fernando.

Teams:

Pakistan: Waqar Younis (captain), Shahid Afridi, Imran Nazir, Yousuf Youhana, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Younis Khan, Abdur Razzaq, Rashid Latif (wicket-keeper), Wasim Akram, Saqlain Mushtaq, Shoaib Akhtar