ALL through the ongoing Test match Pakistan players have been on tenterhooks as things did not go for them quite the way they might have planned.

In fact, by the end of the fourth day the proceedings of the last two days appeared to be more or less a copycat of the first match of the series where on the last day Pakistan had to contend themselves with playing out for a draw.

If declaration comes this morning in case Sri Lanka don’t get out, there will be neither much time nor sufficient overs for Pakistan to chase the target.

With Sri Lankans already leading 1-0 having won the second Test in Dubai by nine wickets, they didn’t go for any adventure right from the start of the Test and succeeded in scoring over 400 runs to heap more misery on Pakistan.

From there onwards Pakistan’s only chance to come back in the game was to go all-out to get nearer to what the Sri Lankans scored.

And this could have only been possible if Pakistan would have made runs at brisk pace but neither the pitch nor defensive approach of the Sri Lankans helped or allowed them to break into their rhythm.

Ahmed Shehzad did impress and made a hundred in addition to both Khurram Manzoor and Misbah-ul-Haq’s effort in their half-centuries but still not too encouraging with Pakistan still in deficit of 137 runs having lost their four remaining wickets for 50 runs.

Then, Pakistan’s only chance was to bowl the Sri Lankans out as quickly as possible to stage an upset by doing the impossible to level the series.

Mohammad Talha and Abdul Rehman bowled brilliantly picking up two wickets each including that of ever reliable Kumar Sangakkara, but when you are up against quality batsman like Mahela Jayawardene you need to be too smart and penetrative to do the damage.

Having come back into form with a century in the second Test, Mahela once in the middle confidently faced Pakistan bowlers along with his captain Angelo Mathews to make sure Sri Lanka is not only in a position of winning the Test but also the series.

A veteran of over 11,000 ODI runs, he was out for 46 after a brilliant catch at short leg but by then did his job staying well for over two hours at the crease to also complete his 11,000 Test runs.

Today Sri Lanka obviously would bat for another hour or two if not bowled out to leave not much for Misbah and his men to work on with the visitors at the moment more than assured of winning the Test having once again dominated the day.