There was no attempt nor even a hint from the Sri Lankan batsmen to force the pace to end the first day’s play in the decisive third and final Test on a higher note. Though they lost half of their wickets during the day, their plan was occupation of the crease.

Fully realising that having chosen to bat first on a pitch which is a lot slower in nature, it will be futile to go after the Pakistan bowlers in quest of quick runs. To their peril, both Karunaratne and Silva, the openers, had realised early in their innings that the wicket wouldn’t help strokeplay as they decided to go into their shells rather than launching into a drive or cut. For this they paid the price early for being too careful.

Understanding well, too, the fact that the changes brought into the Pakistan bowling for this Test were a lot more impressive than in the last two Tests, the Sri Lankans were circumspect about the bowling throughout the day.

Mohammad Talha, playing in a Test after that tragic incident in 2009 during the Lahore Test against Sri Lanka, kept a nagging line, not allowing any liberties to the batsmen nor did spinner Abdur Rehman who bowled with as much enthusiasm to keep the batsmen restricted.

Even players of the calibre of Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene had little if any inclination to dominate despite their vast experience on docile pitches.

But though contented with whatever they could pick, they did manage to add 60 runs for the third wicket to steady the ship for a respectable first innings score.

Once the two were dismissed by Junaid Khan and Saeed Ajmal respectively, their whole exercise was to see the day off without being dented further. Dinesh Chandimal, however, was the last casualty of the day when he mistimed Saeed and was caught.

One cannot really blame the Sri Lankan batsmen for not showing any intention to bother the scorers too much. What I thought most important for them was to play safe and survive for another session and for another day.

Angelo Mathews, though, is not one to be bogged down because he is a natural striker of the ball as he did show while making a hundred in the match-saving innings in the first Test at Abu Dhabi early this month. Nor is Parasanna Jayawardene, the wicket-keeper, who in the last Test picked up nine victims behind the stumps to equal a

Sri Lankan record. Mathews was, however, lucky when Talha failed to grab a difficult chance when the batsman had not even opened his account.

Sri Lanka, leading in this series 1-0, I suppose will continue to play safely and add if possible another hundred runs which could be a reasonable score on this pitch to pressurise Pakistan and prevent them from taking a first innings lead.

Pakistan’s decision to make changes in this Test may in the end serve them well. They have included Azhar Ali as well and that may offer them a bit more depth in case the Sri Lankan bowlers find the track suitable to their taste.