HAVING watched eight days of Test cricket in this brief two-match Test series, I am now more than convinced that this Pakistan batting line-up is in urgent need of oxygen to liven up the quality of their play which from innings to innings seem to be going downhill.

It also makes me think whether the Sri Lankans are as good as on show or whether Pakistan batting is too poor to be rated as a quality Test outfit.

The Sri Lankans so far in their attitude when bowling or batting have displayed a lot more positive approach than Pakistan when batting or bowling.

rom the first Test in Abu Dhabi which Sri Lanka won, the visitors have looked a lot more balanced side in all departments and a shade more superior in all what they are doing.

Their victory in trying circumstances in the first Test has kept them in good shape to strike again and I shall not be surprised to see them take the series away from Pakistan.

Pakistan’s approach thus far has been too dull and dreary giving me the impression that they already have resigned to their fate to take this series as a lost one. If they were keen enough to come back in the series they would have at least picked a different combination of pace and spin.

Instead, they took the field relying more on their fast bowlers rather on spinners, exactly opposite to what the Sri Lankans had on offer to have open options to suit the situation.

Now that Mohammad Amir is out with stress-related injury which may keep him out for a long time from now on, Sarfraz Ahmed would obviously feel the pinch with an unbalanced attack with which is lumbered with though his and that of his game plan which is beyond my comprehension.

Amir, I noticed from the first Test, was struggling with his run-up and with his rhythm to extract much out of the slow surfaces in the series. He surely must have been carrying some kind of injury which he may not have disclosed himself to the people responsible or may be the trainer, doctor and the coach failed to spot what I was noticing sitting in the media box.

Pakistan’s batting except for that first innings impressive score in the first Test remains questionable. Like their second innings debacle in the opening Test their approach to challenge the Sri Lankan score in this match does not encourage anyone of the Pakistan supporters that with their shrunk in the shell approach would get anywhere near Sri Lankan score.

If they didn’t then there in the end would once again be a similar fate which I fear could be the end result.

Shan Masood, Asad Shafiq and Babar Azam have been too loose while handling the Sri Lankan spinners headed by Rangana Herath or even the debutant pace bowler Lahiru Gamage who bowled a steady line to keep the batsmen quiet.

Why, oh why Azhar Ali was pencilled in to bat one wicket down when he proved himself to be a successful opening batsman. Had he opened with Sami Aslam who appears to be more skilled than Shan Masood, Pakistan may have had a different story to tell.

Babar Azam too lack in skill as a Test batsman. His success in the ODIs was healthy and impressive but at Test level he seems to be struggling. Which indeed is a big worry as this game goes on.

Published in Dawn, October 9th, 2017