Misbah, Akmal complete clinical win

Pakistan 189 for 3 (Misbah 72*, Akmal 77) beat Sri Lanka 188 (Sangakkara 71, Tharanga 57, Cheema 4-43) by six wickets

	Aizaz Cheema came back well to pick up four wickets after getting pasted in his first two overs

Pakistan put one foot in the final of the Asia Cup with a six-wicket win over a tired Sri Lankan outfit, which did not have enough steam to defend a modest 188. Pakistan's bowlers set up the win with a disciplined effort, and Misbah-ul-Haq and Umar Akmal compiled positive half-centuries to arrest a top-order wobble. Their eagerly anticipated clash with India on Sunday may not carry much context for them if India beat Bangladesh tomorrow, but Sri Lanka's second consecutive defeat makes an India-Pakistan final likely.

The defeat left a few important questions for Sri Lanka to answer after a long, strenuous season away from home, where they have had mixed results. Their shot-selection for one, starting from the seniors at the top, has been exposed, leaving plenty for the lower middle-order to do. With Upul Tharanga scoring another half-century at No.6, it strengthens his case for being reinstated as an opener, meaning that Mahela Jayawardene would have to move back down the order.

The presence of Dilshan and Jayawardene at the top was aimed at giving Sri Lanka a strong start in a must-win game. They started aggressively today, but in their quest lost quick wickets. It was an underwhelming performance from a team that bats deep but did not have the application to match their talent.

Jayawardene fell trying to drive past extra cover. Dilshan, after some crunching drives through the off side, fell off a miscued pull. The wicket was nicely set up by Aizaz Cheema, who peppered him with short deliveries and challenged him to target the on side, with a fielder in the deep. Two more soft dismissals, those of the young Dinesh Chandimal and Lahiru Thirimanne, put a lot of pressure on Kumar Sangakkara and Tharanga.

They suffered in the bowling Powerplay, scoring only 11 runs. Their stand of 96 featured several singles, 61 of them, and five boundaries. Tharanga was comfortable against the spinners, picking up boundaries through the off side via deft cuts. Sangakkara, who began with a clipped boundary past midwicket, pounced on a short delivery from Mohammad Hafeez to bring up the fifty stand.

Sri Lanka once again succumbed to a familiar weakness - the batting Powerplay. As it happened against India, they lost their foothold in the first over of the field restrictions. Saeed Ajmal was taken off after the bowling Powerplay but Misbah brought him back at the start of the 36th over. He struck by bowling Tharanga with the doosra, before inducing a poor shot from Farveez Maharoof. Sangakkara tried to force the pace by charging Cheema but ended up dragging the ball onto the stumps. His reaction after being dismissed, swishing the air with his bat, summed up Sri Lanka's problems.

Pakistan picked up the last six wickets for just 27 runs and it was largely due to Sri Lanka's inability to read Ajmal's doosra. Cheema went on to take four wickets while Ajmal took three. It was an especially satisfying display by Cheema, who got a pasting early on but backed himself to bowl fast and attack the batsmen.

A timid start by Pakistan, which included the loss of three wickets, gave Sri Lanka hope of defending a modest 188. Jayawardene, maintaining a stony expression, had plenty to expect from his beefed-up bowling attack, and they responded by trying to make life tough for the top order by bowling tight lines. Some committed ground fielding, especially by Dilshan, and catching lifted the spirits of the bowlers.

Jayawardene stuck to his tactic of constantly shuffling fielders in various close catching positions to create chances. The openers, Nasir Jamshed and Mohammad Hafeez, started watchfully but succumbed to tame dismissals, not very different in character to their counterparts. Jamshed holed out to mid-on before Hafeez scooped the legspinner Seekkuge Prasanna to point.

Younis Khan gifted Suranga Lakmal his second wicket with an exaggerated whip to Farveez Maharoof at mid-on, who timed his dive and caught the ball inches off the ground. At 33 for 3, Sri Lanka were in the game but three boundaries by Akmal off a Lasith Malinga over in the bowling Powerplay - all risk-free - calmed the nerves for Pakistan. Misbah was prepared to wait for the bad deliveries, driving Prasanna past the covers before launching him for a six over long-on.

The calmness of Misbah and exuberance of Akmal combined well to ensure that Pakistan crossed the finish line before the 40th over, which gained them a bonus point. Akmal was strong behind square on the on side, sweeping the spinners and paddling them away with the fine leg up. As the target shrunk, Sri Lanka appeared to throw in the towel. The fast bowlers failed to control the scoring, as Pakistan found the gaps with ease during the batting Powerplay.

Sri Lanka have a very slim chance of making the final, provided they beat Bangladesh convincingly, and India lose both their remaining games. A back-door entry, however, would not leave them satisfied.

ICL officials had their own 'agenda'

The man who was in charge of anti-corruption operations in the Indian Cricket League (ICL) has described how his investigations were "handicapped" by officials who had their own "agenda". Howard Beer, an Australian former homicide detective, was giving evidence on day three of Chris Cairns' libel claim against former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi in London's High Court.

Cairns, the retired New Zeland international, is suing Modi over a 2010 tweet that implicated in him match-fixing activity during his time as captain of the Chandigarh Lions in the ICL - claims which he vigorouslydenies. Cairns left Chandigarh after three games of the third edition of the ICL, with the official reason given as his failure to disclose an ankle injury.

Beer revealed that the suggestion Cairns was involved in match-fixing at the ICL was first put to him by Kiran More, the former India wicketkeeper and one of the league's executive directors. However, More would not reveal the source of his information, Beer said.

Although he was informed by More before the start of the third edition of the ICL that one team was suspected of corrupt activity, Beer was not initially told which team that was. After an incident in which a player with the Mumbai Champs, Hasan Raza, was alleged to have lied about a man seen entering his room, Beer was told by More not to investigate Raza further.

Asked by Andrew Caldecott QC, representing Cairns, whether he was "handicapped in carrying out a full investigation" into the Mumbai Champs incident, Beer said: "Yes".

The court heard that Beer was also told by More that he had information that the game between Mumbai Champs and Chandigarh Lions on 13 October, 2008 had been fixed. In separate interviews, conducted as part of Beer's investigations, Mumbai coach Sandeep Patil and captain Nathan Astle both reported concerns about the game.

It was at this point that Beer was informed that the ICL's suspicions were focused on Chandigarh. "There was a suggestion by Kiran More that Mr Cairns was involved," Beer said, though no evidence to support the claim was put before him. "It was a closed shop, they only told me what that wanted to tell me."

Shortly after this, Beer was informed that ICL executives wanted to take over the investigation themselves. When asked by Caldecott if he thought that was "irregular", Beer replied: "Yes."

"They had not been cooperative all the way through," he said. "They weren't going to change." Asked if he thought they had their own agenda, he said: "Yes. What it was, I don't know."

Caldecott suggested: "They didn't want you digging around, did they?" Beer responded by saying: "You could draw that inference."

It was also revealed that JP Yadav, a player with the Delhi Giants, said that he had been approached by Chandigarh players Dinesh Mongia and TP Singh but did not mention Cairns. Several of the interviews with players who have accused Cairns were not conducted in English, Beer said, at one point admitting "I had no idea what was going on," during the questioning of one player.

Earlier, when under examination from Ronald Thwaites QC, representing Modi, Beer said that he had been present during the hotel meeting that led to Cairns' sacking and confirmed the evidence given in his witness statement that Cairns had looked at him and said: "Help me here, Howard." Cairns has denied saying this and claims that fixing was only mentioned in general terms during the meeting, with the discussion centring on his ankle injury.

The court also heard from Cairns' wife, Mel, and his advisor Andrew Fitch-Holland, who was instructed by Cairns to "shut down" rumours about match-fixing after his departure from the ICL. Fitch-Holland said, however, that there was a "massive difference" between gossip on fan websites and Modi's tweet.

Hosts brace for final Sri Lankan surge

Match facts

March 6, Adelaide
Start time 1350 (0320 GMT)

	Michael Clarke wants more from his weary team to close out the series in Adelaide

Big Picture

Australia are a match away from sealing a dramatic and entertaining triangular series, but it is all too apparent that Michael Clarke's team is staggering towards the finish line. To wrap up the finals 2-0 the hosts will have to win two in a row for the first time since games one and two of the series, and do so on an Adelaide surface far more amenable to Sri Lanka than Brisbane's was supposed to have been. Mahela Jayawardene's Sri Lankan team, meanwhile, carries plenty of momentum from the Gabba, not least in terms of the fight shown by a lower order that was about as inclined to quit as the American revolutionaries at the battle of Bunker Hill in 1775.

Clarke's concerns entering the second final revolve principally around his bowling, which lurched into indiscipline as Nuwan Kulasekara and others provided an unexpected fright. It was not the first time the home attack had been exploited in the later overs this series, something Clarke was at pains to address in the aftermath of the match, when he spoke less as a victor than as a leader wary of how his men are flagging. Ben Hilfenhaus and James Pattinson were particularly loose, and only Shane Watson looked entirely in command of his length and direction. David Warner's fitness is also a problem following his match-shaping 163, and will likely force a change in the batting order.

While Sri Lanka's attack looked powerless at times on a flat surface in Brisbane, they can expect a little more help in Adelaide, on a pitch that may slow up and turn in the evening. Most pressing among Jayawardene's requirements will be that one or more of his team's vaunted top order provides a more worthy contribution than they managed at the Gabba, where the late fightback masked the earlier inattention that made such a stirring rearguard necessary.

Form guide

Australia WLWLW (Most recent first)
Sri Lanka LWLWW

In the spotlight

Xavier Doherty bowled tidily at the Gabba, maintaining his knack for the useful. However in Adelaide he will expect to play a more central role, taking wickets as well as keeping the runs down. David Hussey managed to burgle four wickets in Brisbane, and Doherty's lack of a major haul across his matches in this series will be the one thing nagging away at him. These finals are the last ones he will play as the undisputed No. 1 ODI spinner, as Nathan Lyon will vie for a place against Doherty in the Caribbean.

Nuwan Kulasekara is nobody's idea of a conspicuous cricketer, his steady right-arm medium fast bowling the sort of handy skill that can make an ODI career of substance rather than fanfare. However the way he crashed into Australia's bowlers with the bat at the Gabba suggested greater depths of flair lurk beneath, and must have caused more than a few to ask "who was that masked man?" as he left the scene with 73 to his name. His challenge in Adelaide will be to replicate that impact, with ball or bat. Another star-turn would help keep the series alive.

Team news

David Warner is in extreme doubt due to a groin injury picked up during his Gabba innings, leaving Peter Forrest the most likely reinforcement while Shane Watson returns to the top of the order. One of Pattinson or Hilfenhaus should make way for Clint McKay.

Australia (possible) 1 Shane Watson, 2 Matthew Wade (wk), 3 Peter Forrest, 4 Michael Clarke (capt), 5 Michael Hussey, 6 David Hussey, 7 Daniel Christian, 8 Brett Lee, 9 James Pattinson, 10 Clint McKay, 11 Xavier Doherty.

An extra spinner is a likely gambit by the visitors, while they are also waiting on the fitness of Angelo Mathews.

Sri Lanka (possible) 1 Mahela Jayawardene (capt), 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 4 Dinesh Chandimal, 5 Lahiru Thirimanne, 6 Upul Tharanga, 7 Farveez Maharoof, 8 Sachithra Senanayake, 9 Nuwan Kulasekara, 10 Lasith Malinga, 11 Rangana Herath.

Pitch and conditions

Adelaide's surface can be expected to be of similar character to that which hosted the domestic limited-overs final. The match was a dramatic tie that ended with South Australia and Tasmania locked on 285 runs apiece, a comfortable batting surface offering some turn in the evening. The weather forecast is fine and temperate.

Stats and trivia

• Sri Lanka were victorious the last time they met Australia in a final at Adelaide Oval, in 2006.
• That night Tillakaratne Dilshan had a hand in no fewer than four run-outs
• This will be the last international match (or matches) hosted by Adelaide Oval before the start of redevelopment work that will dramatically reconfigure the ground.

Quotes

"A win is a win. But we have a lot of work to do with our Powerplay and death bowling. It hasn't been good enough all series. It continues to let us down. We are the No.1 one-day team and we have to be better than that. Hopefully that [scare] allows us to understand that we have to be better than that."
Michael Clarke was unimpressed with his bowlers in Brisbane

"The boys, at the end, showed some real character and kept fighting which is something you want to cultivate in a team."
Mahela Jayawardene saw something at the Gabba to build on in Adelaide

Lee bowls Australia into strong position

5 overs Sri Lanka 4 for 123 (Thirimanne 13*, Tharanga 5*, Lee 3-28) need another 199 runs to beatAustralia 6 for 321 (Warner 163, Wade 64

	David Warner made 163 from 157 balls © Getty Images

Brett Lee bowled Australia into a powerful position at the Gabba, where Sri Lanka required something special from their remaining batsmen to have any hope of winning the first final. They also needed the rain to stay away, which was no certainty, for their Duckworth-Lewis target crept higher with every wicket that fell, and at the 25-over mark they were 4 for 123 chasing 322 for victory.

Lahiru Thirimanne was at the crease on 13 and Upul Tharanga, in his first match back after being dropped earlier in the series, was on 5. They had held some hope while Kumar Sangakkara remained in the middle but his departure for 42, caught when he lobbed a ball to mid-off in the first over of Lee's second spell, was a big blow.

Sangakkara had been under pressure to lift the tempo as the required run-rate crawled up towards 7.5 an over, the loss of early wickets having stifled Sri Lanka's scoring. Mahela Jayawardene was caught behind for 14 when he pushed at a delivery from Lee and his opening partner Tillakaratne Dilshan followed in Lee's next over.

Dilshan had picked up five boundaries in his 27 from 22 balls but his innings ended when Lee nipped one through the gate as Dilshan tried for a big drive. Sangakkara took to James Pattinson with three consecutive boundaries and shared a promising partnership with Dinesh Chandimal until Chandimal cut David Hussey's first delivery straight to backward point for 14.

The four top-order wickets left a lot of work for the middle and lower orders and just as much of a concern was the need to lift the scoring rate. There have been some impressive chases in this series, but Sri Lanka would need to top them all to get out of this hole.

50 overs Australia 6 for 321 (Warner 163, Wade 64) v Sri Lanka

David Warner's first ODI century pushed Australia to the second-highest total ever recorded in a one-day international at the Gabba and left Sri Lanka needing something special to win the first final. Warner was out from the last ball of the 50th over, bowled for 163 attempting to slog Dhammika Prasad, and it left Australia at 6 for 321, three runs short of the ground record.

Warner and Matthew Wade gave Australia an outstanding start with a 136-run opening partnership and although Wade fell for 64, Warner went on and made the most of the platform. It had been a disappointing series up until this innings for Warner, who made his name as a Twenty20 player for Australia and this summer scored two Test hundreds, but had struggled to find his way in the 50-over format.

He brought up his century with a fortuitous edge to the third-man boundary from his 111th delivery and celebrated with the now-familiar Warner high leap and punch of the air. It was a more restrained innings than many of Warner's limited-overs efforts but that was no bad thing, and he still had the confidence to go for his shots when the bowlers gave him the opportunity.

Warner was especially strong with his drives down the ground, which were generally timed to perfection, and he also pulled with power from midwicket to long-on. He pounced on the overpitched length from Dhammika Prasad, who was recalled for his third match of the tournament, and sent consecutive balls down the ground for fours and followed up with a pull over long-on for six.

He also cleared the square-leg rope with a fine pull off a shorter delivery from Lasith Malinga, and although his scoring rate didn't pick up as much as the fans might have liked towards the end of the innings it was still a wonderful display. He had late support from Michael Clarke, who scored 37 from 25 balls batting at No.6 before he was caught when he mistimed a pull off Malinga's slower ball.

Michael Hussey finished unbeaten on 19, including two sixes, having come in at No.7. The Australian batting order had been tinkered with as Clarke sent Daniel Christian in at No.4 in the hope of making the most of the batting Powerplay, but Christian was caught behind off Prasad for 10. The in-form David Hussey was also promoted but suffered a rare failure when he pushed a return catch to Rangana Herath for 1.

That was a straightforward catch for Herath. His first of the innings wasn't. Wade had fallen to a spectacular, freakish catch in the outfield from Herath, who seemed almost as stunned by his feat as the spectators were. Wade seemed to make good contact with a delivery from Nuwan Kulasekara but at long-on Herath backed back and in a last, desperate attempt thrust his left hand in the air as he fell backwards, plucking the catch one-handed and avoiding the boundary rope as he fell over and held on to the ball.

That ended the opening partnership, easily Australia's biggest in the series. Wade was the aggressor early and 18 runs came off the fifth over, in which he launched Malinga over long-on for six and crunched him through extra cover for four. He was typically strong through the off side and brought up his half-century from his 52nd delivery with a push to the off side from the spin of Tillakaratne Dilshan.

Wade scampered through for a single and Upul Tharanga's direct hit at the non-striker's end allowed the batsmen to take a further two overthrows. After Wade's departure, Shane Watson made 21 and was caught at deep square leg off Maharoof, who had returned to Sri Lanka's side after missing Friday's match in Melbourne due to a back injury.

As it turned out, the part-timer Dilshan was the best of Sri Lanka's bowlers, and while they weren't sloppy in the field, they have still been left with an enormous challenge. But after India's chase in Hobart on Tuesday, this series has shown that anything is possible.