Accompanied by Abdul Razzaq (20, off 35 balls, 2 fours), Youhana was leading the grim fightback after four cheap wickets on a pitch that had distinct uneven bounce to thwart the Pakistani strokemakers. But Youhana was not deterred and allowed himself to settle down, as he almost always does, he unleashed an array of dazzling strokes all round the park.

Jayasuriya came on for just one over, and was clouted by Youhana for 15 runs. He started off by burrowing a six over long-on, then fours over at square-leg and long-on to take Pakistan past 100, and his individual 50 simultaneously.

The partnership for the fifth wicket, 60 off 66 deliveries, offered Pakistan a ray of hope. At the end of 30th over, at 117 for four, things definitely looked brighter.

But the Lankans still were in control and Pakistan would need Youhana to stay till the end, with a couple of hard-hitting knocks in support.

They didn't get the start with both openers, Saeed Anwar and Imran Nazir gone for 18 in the sixth over, and Inzamam-ul-Haq following soon after.

Both wickets went to Pulsathi Gunaratne, but not without some help from both Anwar and Nazir. Anwar clipped uppishly to Jayasuriya at short square-leg and Nazir, after hitting two glorious fours through the covers and long-on, playing a cross-batted stroke towards the on, missed the line and was clean-bowled.

As if that wasn't bad enough, Inzamam pulled Vaas and Jayawardene picked up a low catch to see the entire Sri Lanka team running towards him at deep square-leg to celebrate.

The Pakistan innings was at this point in tatters. But Yousuf Youhana and Younis Khan were on the crease at the end of 15th over, with the score 42 for 3. And they have a big recovery job at hand. The asking rate was getting steeper too. Yet it is not beyond them, and there are all-rounders to follow, but from the hole they were in, it seems a tall order to try crawling out of it now. More so as the slower bowlers, the cornerstone of the Lankan attack, were yet to come.

The result was that they were bowled out for 242, the lowest total batting first in this tournament so far. And on a good batting pitch, the only anomaly being the ball occasionally keeping low, the relatively easy target (asking rate 4.86 per over) might make them the first team in this event to have batted first and lost.

First it was Sanath Jayasuriya (97, off 94 deliveries, 12 fours, 1 six) and Marvan Atapattu (16, off 22 balls, 3 fours) who got the innings going, but the latter's run out ignited a mini-collapse. And then Jayasuriya and Mahela Jayawardene, who had put the Pakistan attack to the sword in a stand of 111 off a mere 117 deliveries to not just rehabilitate the Lankan innings, but also giving it the impetus that promised a score far larger than they eventually got.

Here Jayawardene was run out, a brilliant piece of work by Rashid Latif in the field, running to short square leg to pick up the ball and breaking the stumps. The innings once again came unstuck as Jayasuriya too followed him soon after, just three runs short of what would have been his 13th one-day hundred.

Waqar grabbing a window of opportunity from that run out brought back Wasim Akram, and he delivered first ball, trapping the Lankan skipper plumb in front. A superlative innings of controlled aggression came to a close. And the Lankans never recovered from this twin blow within the space of 11 balls.

So, the Lankans lost the momentum twice, providing Pakistan crucial breakthroughs which their bowlers exploited to the optimum. Razzaq, Sami, Waqar and again Akram got amongst the wickets. There was not a single innings of substance, though Arnold (34, 51 balls, 3 fours) struck two boundaries but Waqar got him caught and bowled for his third wicket on the last delivery of the penultimate over. Akram then got Muralitharan with a delivery to spare to bowl out Sri Lanka for 242.

Will Pakistan make it? Chasing is not their stronger suit, but under 250 should be within their reach. That is if they bat with some method.

A vast improvement indeed over their 56 for three at the end of 15 overs.

Though Jayawardene too played his strokes, none bettering his high and handsome straight six off Razzaq. But it was Jayasuriya who led the charge, to be just 13 runs short of his 13th hundred.

The weight of his bat was really felt by all the three Pakistan bowlers - Abdul Razzaq, Mohammad Sami and Shahid Afridi -- who had spells during this period.

It was indeed this partnership, without offering a ghost of a chance, which has put Sri Lanka on the path of a sizable total, something in the vicinity of 275 runs or thereabouts. A target which would definitely test the skills of Pakistani batsmen though the wicket is quite flat.

Waqar had been punished by Jayasuriya and Atapattu (16, off 22 balls, 3 fours), both taking five boundaries off him in his first three overs. Akram was more economical, but still conceded two boundaries as Jayasuriya lofted him over point and extra cover. At this point, Waqar bowled a maiden, and got a fortuitous break as Atapattu having played one to the long-off ran too far for a single with Jayasuriya not moving an inch from his crease. Running back, Atapattu was found inches short.

That run out changed the complexion of the game.

Younis, after three wayward overs, found his rhythm giving himself an extended first spell. His inswinger got Kumar Sangakkara bowled through a wide-open gate. And next over Aravinda de Silva perished trying to guide him to fine leg, as Rashid Latif barely pouched the inside edge. Some doubts were raised about the edge or the catch but Aravinda had to walk back.

From a strong position of nought for 42, to 53 for three Sri Lankan innings had really been pushed off the rails.

Earlier, Waqar Younis continued to have no luck with the toss, losing his third on the trot. And this time Jayasuriya did not make the mistake of inserting Pakistan in. Both teams sticking to the age-old axiom of not changing a winning combination, and fielded the same outfits that had won them their last matches.