Pakistan will look to press home their advantage after winning the first one-day international, when they host Sri Lanka for the 2nd ODI in Dubai on Friday.
Where to Watch Live
The second one-dayer is set for a 4.30 pm IST and 4pm PST start, with live coverage on Sony Six in India. Coverage in Pakistan will be provided by Geo Super with viewers also able to catch the match via free live streaming HERE. To watch all the action in the U.S. live online click HERE. To live stream the match in Sri Lanka click HERE.
Preview
The first ODI was filled with runs, with Pakistan managing to quell a late fightback from Sri Lanka to post an 11-run victory.
The designated home side's batsmen came to the fore in the opening match, with Mohammed Hafeez, crucially, finding some form, while under real pressure to perform.
Hafeez's 122 (129b, 7x4, 4x6) was backed up by smart half-centuries from opener Sharjeel Khan (61) and middle-order batsman Sohaib Maqsood (73). Those knocks helped Pakistan to post 322 for five in their 50 overs, which eventually proved to be just beyond Sri Lanka's reach, with the Islanders bowled out for 311.
Pakistan coach Dav Whatmore was quite impressed by what he saw from Sharjeel, making his ODI debut, and Maqsood, only 6 one-dayers old, and a batsman who has been compared with the incomparable Inzamam-ul-Haq.
"It was a very good innings by Maqsood. He's somebody that's shown the selectors and myself that he wants to play," Whatmore said after the first ODI. "When you lose eight to ten kilos in a relatively short space of time, that's a big effort. Just on that alone I reckon it was worth selecting him. He's rewarded us with some terrific performances.
"Sharjeel debuted yesterday [Wednesday], but in my pre-match talk at the ground, I completely forgot it was his debut because I got the feeling he's been around so much recently in the T20s. We eventually all congratulated him and he showed the sort of potential that he has. I'm not going to say he's going to be a great player, but he's got the potential to be a very good contributor. I'm pleased with that.
"Sohaib Maqsood happens to tell me Sharjeel is his childhood friend. During Sharjeel's innings, Maqsood sat next to me and gave some useful predictions about this kid. They were both very true - on the money. It's good that each of these guys know each other's games."
Sri Lanka, while needing to work a lot on their bowling, will take heart from the performance of their all-rounders Seekkuge Prasanna and Sachitra Senanayake, whose knocks of 42 each from 25 and 24 balls respectively nearly pulled Sri Lanka to an improbable victory from a seemingly lost position.
Team news: Pakistan: Misbah-ul-Haq and Whatmore might consider bringing in pace bowler Anwar Ali into the first XI at the expense of one of Sohail Tanvir, Junaid Khan or Bilawal Bhatti, all of whom were quite expensive in the first ODI.
Sri Lanka: Nuwan Kulasekara was surprisingly left out of the team on Wednesday, and unless there is some unspecified injury, the medium-pacer is expected to be drafted back in with Suranga Lakmal the likely man to miss out.
Expected lineups: Pakistan: Shehzad, Sharjeel, Hafeez, Maqsood, Misbah (capt), Umar Akmal (wk), Afridi, Ali, Tanvir, Ajmal, Junaid.
Sri Lanka: Dilshan, Kusal Perera, Sangakkara (wk), Chandimal, Mathews (capt), Thirimanne, Thisara Perera, Prasanna, Senanayake, Kulasekara, Malinga.
