Sri Lanka vs Pakistan, 4th ODI - Live Cricket Score, Commentary

Angelo Mathews' run of poor scores extended into the fourth ODI of the series. Having shared a steady 34-run stand with Thirimanne, Mathews threw his wicket in the softest manner possible. Stepping out to play Rahat Ali straight down the ground, the Sri Lankan captain was foxed by the off-cutter and chipped the ball straight to mid-off to be dismissed for 12 off 23.

A do-or-die encounter awaits Sri Lanka while Pakistan are one win away from sealing the series. A win in this match will also help Pakistan ease closer to qualifying for the Champions Trophy. The 4th ODI of the series at the Premadasa has something in it for everyone. Can Sri Lanka bounce back after the drubbing they received at the Premadasa the last time around? Can the new-look Pakistan continue their hi-flying ways? What changes will the hosts make to their squad?

Answers coming up in just a bit.

After the medium-pacers were rendered ineffective by Azhar Ali brought on the hero from the last game - Yasir Shah - into the attack. The leggie was accurate and kept the boundaries under check but the two batsmen were untroubled. Ali then brought himself on from the other end in a bid to end the stubborn stand but was picked off easily.

After losing eight successive tosses, Angelo Mathews finally had the luck of the coin toss going his favour and had no hesitation in electing to bat first. Understandably, Azhar Ali was happy to field an unchanged side. Why would he change really?

Mathews on the other hand was forced into making a couple of changes. Thisara Perera and Upul Tharanga are out, they are replaced by Ashan Priyanjan and Suranga Lakmal . Aah! So Thisara's luck runs out!

Teams:

Ahmed Shehzad, Azhar Ali(c), Mohammad Hafeez, Sarfraz Ahmed(w), Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Rizwan, Imad Wasim, Anwar Ali, Yasir Shah, Rahat Ali, Mohammad Irfan

Kusal Perera, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Lahiru Thirimanne, Angelo Mathews(c), Dinesh Chandimal(w), Ashan Priyanjan, Milinda Siriwardana, Sachith Pathirana, Lasith Malinga, Nuwan Pradeep, Suranga Lakmal

Pitch:

It looks a lot more drier and there are more cracks on it, it's very hard and bare. Win the toss and bat first!
It looks a lot more drier and there are more cracks on it, it's very hard and bare. Win the toss and bat first!

In the last ODI, played at the same venue, Pakistan managed 316 before their spinners effectively shut Sri Lanka out of the game. Kusal Perera and TM Dilshan have generally done well for the hosts in the series barring a surprise failure in the last game. It is imperative that they do well to relieve the pressure on a struggling middle-order. The pitch is dry, should be good to bat on and could take turn later in the evening. Remember, its still monsoon here so there's a chance of rain as well!

If winning the toss was a pleasant surprise, the start of the innings was ominous for Sri Lanka. Kusal Perera, having scored that 17-ball half century in the 2nd ODI, now has two failures in a row. This one, was a two ball duck. Looking to flick a full delivery from Mohammad Irfan towards the leg-side, Kusal closed the bat face early and the leading edge was swallowed by Imad Wasim running in from cover. What a start for Pakistan!

Despite the loss of his opening partner, Tillakaratne Dilshan was not afraid to play his shots. Anwar Ali, looking to pitch it up and extract swing, was driven off successive deliveries for four. The first was driven straight back past him and the next was creamed through the covers. Lahiru Thirimanne helped himself to a four off Irfan in the next over as Sri Lanka moved to 16/1 after 3 overs.

Azhar Ali, meanwhile, wasted no time in forcing a quick bowling change. Left-arm seamer Rahat came in for Anwar and straight away got a bit of swing. Just that little bit !

Tillakaratne Dilshan and Lahiru Thirimanne exploited the flat surface on offer and steadied the Sri Lankan innings after the loss of Kusal in the first over. Azhar Ali rotated his seamers around but to no avail. The pitch continued to play slow and low and had little in it to keep the bowlers interested. The duo succeeded in scoring five runs an over.