Pakistani players batted sensibly after losing three quick wickets as they were tottering at 33/3 while chasing a modest victory target of 188 runs.
Pakistan outclassed Sri Lanka in all the departments of the game to win the match by six wickets. It looked that the coach had done homework with the players and pinpointed their weaknesses to improve their game and these things were felt during the match.
Though Lakmal brought Sri Lanka back into the game with two quick wickets in his first spell by sending Nasir Jamshed to the pavilion and then the old guard Younus Khan but skipper Misbahul Haq and Umar Akmal halted further loss and steadied Pakistan innings and put on 153 runs for the fourth wicket to help Pakistan score win.
And after the halfway mark Umar Akmal and Misbah played offensive game to maintain the winning run-rate before Umar Akmal was the fourth out on his personal score of 77 but he did his work and put on 152 runs for the fourth wickets and took team to nearer to the victory target.
Misbah was unbeaten on 72 runs with Hammad Azam four not out, when Pakistan romped home safely in the 40th over of the game and defeated Sri Lankans by 6 wickets.
It looked that Pakistan played to its potential as they fielded well, bowled well and batted and under a plan to achieve victory to remain in the Asia Cup.
Earlier, Jayawardene decision of batting first backfired and proved harmful to Sri Lanka as Islanders failed to set a defendable total and was bowled out for 188 in 46th over the match. Sangakkara and Tharanga saved Sri Lankans blushes and avoided total collapse by putting on 96 runs for the fifth wickets stand to give some respectability to team's total.
Sangakkara, who perished himself while trying to attack.
Tharanga was comfortable against the spinners, picking up boundaries through the offside via deft cuts. Sangakkara pounced on a short delivery from Hafeez to bring up the fifty stand.
Maharoof and Sangakkara tried to force the pace by charging Cheema but ended up dragging the ball onto the stumps.
Aizaz Cheema, Umar Gul and Hammad Azam shared seven wickets among them and Saeed Ajmal got the remaining three wickets to restrict the Sri Lankan to 188 in 46th over.
Aizaz got four wickets while Umar Gul took two and Hammad Azam got one wicket. The onset of the batting Powerplay led to Sri Lanka's downfall as earlier they scored just 11 runs in the bowling powerplay. Tharanga's wicket gave Pakistan an opening just when it looked like they had switched off during the middle overs.
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.
Now Pakistan have crossed the one hurdle and the second hurdle still to clear as they face arch-rival India in the crucial match to book their place in the Asia Cup final.
Pakistan must chalk-out strategy for the match against arch-rivals to sail smoothly into the final.
The coach, team and management had done their work perfectly and the Pakistanis laud their efforts and pray for them more successes in future.
In today's match it felt that Dav Whatmore has done his homework and now thinks about the next match to book their spot in Asia Cup final. Whatmore has a lot of work to do and he must looks at Umar Akmal batting weaknesses as he has a great potential and future of Pakistan cricket. He must pinpoint Akmal's weaknesses and guided him to stay at the crease despite throwing away at wrong time.
It is also suggested that Pakistan Cricket Board Chief Zaka Ashraf also looks to the youngsters those are performing well in the domestic cricket and they should be recalled and handed over to Whatmore to improve their games and remove their weaknesses to enable them to prove their skills at international level that will enable Pakistan to select at least three teams comprising youngsters to make back up of the senior players to avoid any trouble in future.