Pakistan’s 2nd innings recovery did nothing but raise even more questions as to why the 1st innings performance was so bad, and despite the 2nd innings collapse, it was this 1st innings total which cost in the end. Had they scored even a hundred more, they would have fancied bowling out Sri Lanka for less than 270 on a 4th innings pitch.

So, where did it all go wrong? Pakistan’s 2nd innings collapse all started when Sri Lanka took the new ball and the Pakistan batsmen just did not have an answer. The Sri Lankan’s did bowl well but questions will be asked of the Pakistan batsmen, particularly the early to middle order. Though Misbah was unlucky to be given out today, he will be under pressure for the last Test having made just one 50 in four innings this series. His other scores were just 7, 0 and 3. The captain has also a lot to answer for with poor decision making throughout. I have long questioned the purpose of a reverse sweep and today you could see why as Younis gave his wicket away, triggering the collapse. The list below of our middle order’s performances in this series so far, does not make good reading:

Younis Khan: 25 – 3 – 0 – 82
Mohammad Yusuf: 112 – 12 – 10 – 6
Shoaib Malik: 38 – 0 – 39* – 6
Misbah Ul-Haq: 56 – 7 – 0 – 3
Kamran Akmal: 31 – 6 - 9 – 3

It’s about learning from mistakes; Pakistan repeated their mistakes (three batting collapses in two Tests) and Sri Lanka did not. But what is behind this? Is it the will to win? Coaching influence? Mentality? Professionalism? If it is, then it’s clear why Sri Lanka should beat us every time.

For the neutral, Test cricket is well and truly alive and for the Pakistan fan, Pakistan Test cricket is also well and truly alive. It’s not too much to suggest that we should be 0-2 up in the series, or 0-1 at least. But the reality is that Pakistan now find themselves 2-0 down, an unassailable lead in the three match series giving Sri Lanka their first series win over Pakistan on home soil.

I’d still be a Pakistan fan though, just don’t ask me why.

Having snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in the 1st Test, today’s batting performance must have left Pakistan’s coaching staff seething. I suppose this would have been mainly to save their own skins as what ever they would have told the players in between the last Test and this one, quite clearly has not worked. It is difficult for the coaching staff to have much effect whilst a match is on going yet in between matches is where they must have an influence. But with four ducks and just three double figure scores (the highest being 39), it seems as if the Pakistani players did not come into this match with a single thought of what had transpired in the last.

Another change to the opening pair saw Fawad Alam come in for Salman Butt. Many had asked for Fawad’s inclusion yet he could only manage 16 runs having being sent in to open which was something he had never done before in an international game. This decision seemed even more bizarre than when Alam was asked to bowl the very important 15th over of the T20 semi-final having not bowled at all in the tournament previously. Sure, Fawad would have been asked if he would like to open today but as a youngster desperate to play for your country, you just say yes, whether its opening or coming in last.

In reality, this was a blatant admission that the squad selection was completely wrong with Butt and Manzoor the only two openers in the squad. With Butt’s poor form coming into the series, it was even more surprising they only selected two specialist openers.

One positive was the innings of Shoaib Malik who had been coming in for some criticism recently. Apart from being one of our best fielders, a decent containing bowler, I think he is very important to our middle order. He remained not out today, scoring 39 having stayed at the crease for more than two hours whilst looking as if he was batting on the same pitch as the Sri Lankans did. His team mates however, did their level best to make a decent pitch seem like it was covered in land mines.

What makes it worse is that Cricinfo has decided to let the jingoistic Sidharth Monga cover the game, and he cannot control himself at the best of times let alone when Pakistan are having a shocker.

Squad: Younus Khan (capt), Salman Butt, Khurram Manzoor, Ahmed Shahzad, Shoaib Malik, Misbah-ul-Haq, Faisal Iqbal, Asim Kamal, Fawad Alam, Yasir Arafat, Danish Kaneria, Kamran Akmal (wk), Umar Gul, Mohammad Talha, Sohail Khan

Reserves: Nasir Jamshed, Shahid Afridi, Sohail Tanveer, Abdur Rauf, Saeed Ajmal.