PAKISTAN lost, and lost badly. That too from a position of strength - with eight wickets in hand and 97 runs to get, our middle order only needed to apply itself for a win that was there for the taking. Instead our batsmen conspired to snatch an incredible defeat from the jaws of what could have a famous victory. Even for a collective bout of serious nerves, it was mind-boggling - and disappointing, demoralising and deflating to boot, especially with the expectation level raised. From the high of a World Cup triumph, for the Pakistanis the fall has rather been swift. And it would take some doing for the think tank and the team to regroup and lift itself in order make a fist of it in the remainder of this three-Test rubber. As for the Lankans, they have weathered the storm, and their tails would be up - more so with their trusted match-winner Muthiah Muralitharan making a comeback in the second Test. This, by the way, is Pakistan's third unachieved under-200 target - the last such instance as far back as a dozen years at Faisalabad in 1997 against South Africa (then chasing just 146, our boys were bundled out for a mere 92). With a small target in front, and skipper Younis Khan having already perished in the dusk on day three, the onus was on Salman Butt and the first-innings centurian veteran Mohammad Yousuf. The pitch, mind you, was playing no tricks and both Butt and Yousuf had seemed quite comfortable the day before. But some inept batting and astute captaincy by Kumar Sangakkara combined to ensure Pakistan's swift demolition. Asking his pace spearhead Kulasekara to cool his heels in the deep, Sangakkara straightaway brought on his two left-armer combo in pace and spin. And the swing of Thilan Thushara and spin of Rangana Herath turned out to be deadly. Once Yousuf fell leg before to the Herath's arm ball and Butt committed hara-kiri in only the same second over of the day without a single run added to the overnight score, the game had been turned. Sangakkara's field-placing was immaculate, with no freebees on offer. After the twin setback, a whole lot was expected from the two experienced hands of Shoaib Malik and Misbah-ul-Haq. Thushara got Malik with an outswinger, and accounted for Kamran Akmal with a sharp in-dipper. Misbah practically ran himself out, and with five wickets gone for only just 20 patchily acquired runs, Pakistan's cause had been well and truly sunk in the close-by Indian Ocean. While Sangakkara and his charges must be over the moon with this dramatic turn in fortunes, Pakistan would need to rethink their strategy and even importantly search deep for some inspiration that could dispel this pall of gloom. As is the norm in such circumstances, the knives would be out to stab Younis Khan. This would not be the right approach, though Younis has quite a bit to answer for. Such as disregarding the Galle history - where no side has recorded a flattering fourth innings score, the highest for a team winning in single digit - and still electing to field was his call. Then he didn't contribute much with the bat - something this unit is highly dependent upon. There would be questions on selection too. Whether ignoring leg-spin option of Danish Kaneria was right? Whether not including Abdul Razzaq, whose superb swing bowling had only recently such a crushing impact on the Lankans in the Twenty20 World Cup final, when Shoaib Malik's off-spin was also not to be used? These are all legitimate questions, and though among others Younis would need to examine these closely, had Pakistan won, all would have been forgotten and forgiven. Triumph is such an opiate, indeed. But in the final analysis, Pakistan lost not because Younis erred but for the reason that five of its top batsmen out of eight who fell on the day contributed pitifully little - some even zilch. lost, and lost badly. That too from a position of strength - with eight wickets in hand and 97 runs to get, our middle order only needed to apply itself for a win that was there for the taking. Instead our batsmen conspired to snatch an incredible defeat from the jaws of what could have a famous victory. Even for a collective bout of serious nerves, it was mind-boggling - and disappointing, demoralising and deflating to boot, especially with the expectation level raised. From the high of a World Cup triumph, for the Pakistanis the fall has rather been swift. And it would take some doing for the think tank and the team to regroup and lift itself in order make a fist of it in the remainder of this three-Test rubber. As for the Lankans, they have weathered the storm, and their tails would be up - more so with their trusted match-winner Muthiah Muralitharan making a comeback in the second Test. This, by the way, is Pakistan's third unachieved under-200 target - the last such instance as far back as a dozen years at Faisalabad in 1997 against South Africa (then chasing just 146, our boys were bundled out for a mere 92). With a small target in front, and skipper Younis Khan having already perished in the dusk on day three, the onus was on Salman Butt and the first-innings centurian veteran Mohammad Yousuf. The pitch, mind you, was playing no tricks and both Butt and Yousuf had seemed quite comfortable the day before. But some inept batting and astute captaincy by Kumar Sangakkara combined to ensure Pakistan's swift demolition. Asking his pace spearhead Kulasekara to cool his heels in the deep, Sangakkara straightaway brought on his two left-armer combo in pace and spin. And the swing of Thilan Thushara and spin of Rangana Herath turned out to be deadly. Once Yousuf fell leg before to the Herath's arm ball and Butt committed hara-kiri in only the same second over of the day without a single run added to the overnight score, the game had been turned. Sangakkara's field-placing was immaculate, with no freebees on offer. After the twin setback, a whole lot was expected from the two experienced hands of Shoaib Malik and Misbah-ul-Haq. Thushara got Malik with an outswinger, and accounted for Kamran Akmal with a sharp in-dipper. Misbah practically ran himself out, and with five wickets gone for only just 20 patchily acquired runs, Pakistan's cause had been well and truly sunk in the close-by Indian Ocean. While Sangakkara and his charges must be over the moon with this dramatic turn in fortunes, Pakistan would need to rethink their strategy and even importantly search deep for some inspiration that could dispel this pall of gloom. As is the norm in such circumstances, the knives would be out to stab Younis Khan. This would not be the right approach, though Younis has quite a bit to answer for. Such as disregarding the Galle history - where no side has recorded a flattering fourth innings score, the highest for a team winning in single digit - and still electing to field was his call. Then he didn't contribute much with the bat - something this unit is highly dependent upon. There would be questions on selection too. Whether ignoring leg-spin option of Danish Kaneria was right? Whether not including Abdul Razzaq, whose superb swing bowling had only recently such a crushing impact on the Lankans in the Twenty20 World Cup final, when Shoaib Malik's off-spin was also not to be used? These are all legitimate questions, and though among others Younis would need to examine these closely, had Pakistan won, all would have been forgotten and forgiven. Triumph is such an opiate, indeed. But in the final analysis, Pakistan lost not because Younis erred but for the reason that five of its top batsmen out of eight who fell on the day contributed pitifully little - some even zilch.