When their captain, Arjuna Ranatunga, entered the Last Chance Saloon, better known as St George's Park, on Monday the tourists knew another defeat would turn their remaining three games into an academic exercise. At 17 for three with Aravinda de Silva unstrapping his pads in a gloomy dressing-room, Sri Lanka were in needed of a miracle. Ranatunga, in true desperado fashion, shot down the South African attack in an innings of skilled workmanship.
Now, he admits, victory over Pakistan would at least revive their chances of reaching the Standard Bank Series final at Newlands now only a week away.
The only blot on their fitness record at present is the worry about Chaminda Vaas' right ankle, otherwise they are likely to go into the game with the same side which mauled a tired-looking South African side on a sub-continent type surface at St george's Park.
Ranatunga has admitted he prefers to chase a target and might consider batting second today should he win the toss; mindful, of course of the words used by Sachin Tendulkar when he led India in last season's triangular. Tendulkar commented it was the similarity to the Indian pitches which enabled them to successfully achieve their target.
At least Sri Lanka's victory has kept the series alive and they are hoping to consolidate their log position today, although Pakistan have displayed all their erratic form habits this series.
Yet they are all too well aware of the expectations in their own country of how failure to reach the final will be viewed. Already their have been rumblings in Lahore that Aamir Sohail's early return with an arm injury was the result of a split in the camp caused by Wasim Akram.
Sri Lanka beat Pakistan in Lahore back in November in the Wills Quadrangular only to lose to South Africa in the final when Hansie Cronje took control with another of his blitzkrieg batting tactics.
Pakistan's key performances in this series have been against a Sri Lanka bowling attack which has lacked penetration. At willowmoore Park the possibility is for the World Cup champions to retain their four spinners.
Willowmoore Park is a small ground and Ranatunga felt the pitch, on the evidence of what he saw yesterday, was good for a score of 250 or more. With Muttiah Muralitharan and Kumar Dharmasena to exploit the conditions along with with Upul Chandana and Sanath Jayasuriya, Sri Lanka are better served than Pakistan. Yet the twin danger of Wasim and Waqar remain an ever-present threat.
Much depends on how Inzamam-ul-Haq bats against the Sri lanka quartet today to build a total. Shahid Afridi has been found wanting and Azhar Mahmood has not displayed the same technique up the order as he has down it. A Sri Lanka victory will make for a more interesting weekend as South Africa need a victory from the game at SuperSport Centurion or Springbok Park in Bloemfontein to reach the final.