PAK VS SL - 4th ODI, Pakistan v Sri Lanka in UAE, 2017

Another match, another Pakistan win, another Lankan drubbing. Sadly the replacements who seem to be their answers are either injured or have retired. I was Vineet Anantharaman bringing you the action in the company of Raju Peethala, Hari Prasad, Akshay Maanay and Reddy. A loud shout out for all comments sent in as well. Ta ta!!

Sarfraz Ahmed: The wickets in the Tests were slightly different. I think we have a good momentum going in and people are performing well. It is not that there is no pressure but we are lucky that the players have understood their respective roles perfectly; which simplifies the role of a captain. The way Shenwari bowled and made an impact with the kind of lengths he bowled was superb on debut. We'll have a look at the conditions in the next match and then look at the combinations and the batting order.

Upul Tharanga: I think we are repeating the same mistakes. We are a good batting side but I do not know why we keep playing like this. It is a matter of confidence, none of our top six have enough runs under their belt and hope we do well next game. After Dinesh got out, Sadeera got out in the same over and we couldn't recover. Akila has been bowling well in the last two series for us and Vandersay has been bowling well too.

Babar Azam: This knock has done what centuries couldn't by winning this award. While batting I always look to give my 100%. When Shoaib came in he told me to make a partnership but I did not have to do much considering that he did most of the scoring. I try to keep my focus on at all points.

Babar Azam is the Man of the Match for his anchoring knock. A 69 does what a century couldn't.

Another eerily similar script. Pakistan walking all over some Sri Lankan souls out there. Only that the finishing move gets all the more clinical. You could be forgiven for hoping for a twist, or a familiar Pakistani collapse when they lost three wickets pretty quickly. But Babar and his non-ditched relationship with the UAE came down pretty quickly to shatter all these hopes. With Shoaib Malik striking as cleanly as he has been, Pakistan have done it with eleven overs in the tank. The bowling - well give them a total to bowl at at least to mess things up. So - Pakistan move up to eight consecutive wins..Sri Lanka to eleven consecutive losses.

Siriwardana to Shoaib Malik, SIX, and it's 4-0 next ball. Sealed with a six. Another dance, another hoick, but a lot straighter. Long-off seems keen, keen enough to escort it over the ropes

Siriwardana to Shoaib Malik, FOUR, a hoick, a mistimed rather.But the fielder in the deep has given up. Why bother stretching the game? He backtracks, in a tame attempt to pouch it at long-on. A bounce inside the ropes

Siriwardana to Shoaib Malik, no run, stays behind the line, denied room or length for a smack. And adjusts to block

Siriwardana to Babar Azam, 1 run, smashed down, too much of the power for the timing to be right

Siriwardana to Babar Azam, no run, looks to defend for the turn going away. There's none. The result - the inside half of the bat on the forward block

Siriwardana to Shoaib Malik, 1 run, looks to take on the flight. Yorks himself in the process. Dug straight down

Prasanna to Babar Azam, no run, a flat dart on the sticks. Dead defence

Prasanna to Babar Azam, 2 runs, a shortend slider on the pads. Nurdled away very fine..pulled back just in time

Prasanna to Shoaib Malik, 1 run, opens up the bat rather late in a dab behind point

Prasanna to Shoaib Malik, SIX, whoa. Inside-out. The dancing shoes on, Malik moves away, bat goes swinging as he lofts it ever so elegantly. Over extra cover for him to admire

Prasanna to Babar Azam, 1 run, and the sensible thing that coaches tell you to do. A drop after a boundary, to cover

Prasanna to Babar Azam, FOUR, some hurry. So very uncharacteristic. Sheds his grace for a skip down, realises there is no turn and can tonk it straight back, in a murder to the sightscreen

Siriwardana to Babar Azam, 1 run, a full bat swing, shovelling it to long-off

Siriwardana to Shoaib Malik, 1 run, opens up his defence, searching for the line and caressing it wide of cover-point