No team wants to lose a match, even if it is an exhibition one. Neither Sri Lanka, resting two star players, nor Pakistan, resting three, wanted to lose. It was not a warm-up match before the final tomorrow but a battle of nerves for the two teams. Pakistan must have been keener to win this contest because they are the ones at the receiving end in the Asia Cup since Its beginning in 1984.

So a victory over the holders would give them the right kind of boost they wanted before Wednesday. To go into the final with the definite feeling of winners In the group match comes in handy for the team looking for its maiden regional glory. Srl Lanka would have liked to have the same feeling b fore the final as they have an additional burden on their shoulders being the title-holders. A victory yesterday would buck up their morale against a team that has been performing well in recent times. So. winning the toss was a good beginning but the start was disastrous as the star batsman Aravinda de Silva started a trifle late for the other end and found himself short of ground. The trend continued

throughout the innings as half the side was out to brilliant fielding of the Pakistanis, the colts of the side to be precise. When stylish and In-form batsman Man’an Atapattu fell to a doubtful decision of the third umpire, the hope for a respectable Lankan total disappeared. Of course. Upul Chandana made the bowlers understand that he was no novice with the bat. But that could not take the Lankans to the 200 mark which Is normally accepted as benchmark in GDIs, particularly on such a placid wicket.

It was very difficult to understand why the third umpire had taken such a decision against Atapattu when the law clearly says that any doubt should go In favour of the batsman. This means, when everyone was sure the ball had touched the ground only the third umpire thought to the contrary. Then, again a simple run out decision involving Mu-ralltharan took him a long time to flash the red signal. Good fielding and bad running notwithstanding. Pakistani bowlers bowled well, particularly Azhar Mahmood Mohammad Akram continued with his rotten luck.

Imran Nazir was a man possessed and perished quickly, naturally Mohammad Wasim, a debut centurion In Test cricket and the odd man out of the team for poor form, performed reasonably well But it was once again Yousuf Youhana. the confident but se-date Pakistani star who dazzled and put the Lanka bowling to the swords.

Inzamam. trying to redeem himself, was dismissed softly at mid-on and this brought Afridi to the crease. With only two runs short of victory. Shahid Afridi's antics were too much for the spectators. Youhana remained unbeaten on 90. another starling display of power and grace.

Once again not rain but DESA played the villain of the piece The load-shedding and power failures for hours annoyed the viewers throughout the day. Hope, situation will improve tomorrow.