Wednesday 1st July, 2009 15

Sri Lanka’s first win against else’s. Akram has taken two hat-tricks in ’s first Test win Test and on both those against Pakistan came in the year instances, the Sri Lankan players 1986 when they won by eight wick- were at the receiving end. What’s even ets at the CCC.Until then the Tests stranger is that he completed the feat between the countries had been in successive Test matches. The first dominated by the Pakistanis, who one came in , his home ground had won five of the seven matches during a preliminary round match of that had been played until then with the Asian Test Championship. As the two matches ending in innings match ended in a draw, Sri Lanka wins. qualified for the finals of the tourna- There were three debutants for ment in Dhaka at the expense of Sri Lanka in that 1986 CCC Test and Wasim once again stamped his with , Don authority by removing Avishka Anurasiri making their debuts, but Gunawardene, and it was Kosala Kuruppuarachchi, the in successive 21-year-old left arm seamer who balls as Pakistan went onto win by an gave Sri Lanka a dream start as he innings and 175 runs. For his double captured five to bowl out hat-trick, Wasim was named Man of the tourists for 132 runs in their the Series. first innings. A gritty 77 by Man of the Match Gutty Arjuna helps SL to a enabled Sri Lanka to make 273 and thrilling win gain a valuable lead of 141. In their Arjuna Ranatunga was sacked as second innings, Pakistan fared in 1999 and the selectors - badly again as Ravi Ratnayeke looked him for the Test and ODI tour picked up five for 37, leaving Sri of as they picked a young Lanka a target of 32 runs which side. But he was back in the team for they chased with eight wickets in the series in Pakistan and proved his hand. worth in a thrilling run chase at Rawalpindi. Waqar, Wasim jolt Sri Lanka Sri Lanka were comfortably placed The first of the three Test series in the first Test as they took a first in 1994 at the P. Sara Stadium was innings lead of 171 runs. They were comprehensively won by Pakistan, set a target of 220, but were in trouble Of ’s 20 Test hundreds, despite Aravinda de Silva making a at 146 for five. Two runs later, they lost eight were scored against Pakistan. He hundred. The second Test scheduled Ranatunga as a Waqar at the SSC was cancelled due to a cracked Ranatunga’s fingers, causing has also got the second highest aggregate post election curfew. The teams multiple fractures forcing him to in Tests between the nations. turned up at the Asgiriya retire hurt. Wickets kept falling and International Cricket Stadium for when the eighth fell at 177, Sri the final Test, where Sri Lanka were Lanka still required 43 runs with only handed an innings and 52 run defeat left. after and Waqar Ranatunga walked into bat at this Yountroubled the batsmen with point and together with Romesh their pace and swing. Kaluwitharana guided the team Sri Lanka’s 71 all out is their through while facing a probing spell lowest in Tests against any country, by Waqar. Ranatunga only made 29 not as Wasim with four wickets and out, but his runs were a goldmine as Waqar with six, ran through the Sri Sri Lanka won with two wickets to Lankan innings with just one bats- spare. Ranatunga had to return home man – wicketkeeper Pubudu without taking any further part in the Dassanayake managing double fig- tour and was given a huge reception ures. when he returned home. Waqar claimed five wickets in the second innings to finish with a Wasim makes a point match bag of 11 wickets as Sri with the bat Lanka were out for 234 runs Pakistan returned to Sri Lanka in in their second innings to suffer a 2000 for a three Test series and in the humiliating defeat inside first Test at the SSC, the hosts looked three days that called for to be well in control when they posted the sacking of the captain 273 runs in their first innings and and other senior players. reduced the tourists to 176 for nine. But Wasim, together with Arshad First Test win in Khan added 90 runs for the last wick- Pakistan et. Sri Lanka were in Wasim made 78 and Arshad’s con- tribution in the was a by Rex Clementine Pakistan for the return series the next year and started off in mere nine runs. De Silva was unbeaten on disastrous fashion when they lost the Then when Sri Lanka batted, he cricketing relations that Sri first Test at Peshawar by an innings Wasim swung the game in Pakistan’s Lanka has enjoyed with Pakistan 93 on his 20th birthday and 40 runs. But they fought back in favour with a five wicket haul as Sri Twas well summed up by the dramatic fashion, winning the remain- Lanka were bowled out for 123 in their Editor of this newspaper, who and the following morn- ing two Tests to record a great come second innings. Chasing a target of described Sri Lanka’s painful loss to back. 133, Pakistan lost early wickets and Pakistan in the T-20 World Cup at ing, he reached his maid- Early that year, Arjuna were 89 for five, but Wasim was pro- Lord’s as ‘Losing to a friend is no pain’ Ranatunga’s side had recorded their moted to number five and he in his editorial two days after the final. en Test , hitting first Test win abroad when they beat remained till the end with an unbeat- Veteran cricket administrator Neil in Napier and they en 20 to ensure Pakistan got home Perera speaks highly of the efforts of the legendary Imran showed remarkable improvement with five wickets to spare. a former Chairman of the Pakistan Khan for a six. That in the second Test after going In the next Test in Galle, he joined Cricket Board Abdul Haffez Kardar, down tamely in the series open- Saeed Anwar, Inzamam-ul-Haq and whom he says played a pivotal role in was the first sign of er. The Test match marked the Younis Khan as the fourth centurion helping Sri Lanka gain Test status. return of Aravinda de Silva to in the Pakistani innings as the According to Perera, after Sri Lanka what was to follow in a the national team after his suc- tourists posted a massive 600 for eight had been repeatedly denied full mem- cessful stint with English coun- declared and helped Pakistan record a bership of the ICC, he had stated dur- stellar career and among ty, Kent. Aravinda, however, massive innings and 163 run win. ing a meeting of the International started off in poor fashion, as he Cricket Council that the founder mem- those who were fortunate collected a second ball , the Sangakkara’s marathon effort bers of world’s governing body – first duck of his illustrious Sri Lanka had faired badly in the Australia and – were non-sup- to witness that achievement career after playing over 70 inaugural edition of the Asian Test portive of Sri Lanka. Test matches. Championship, but in the second edi- Since the day the country gained were Aravinda’s parents, But the star batsman tion of the now defunct four nation Test status, in 1981, Pakistan has returned to form with a tournament, they won the champi- remained a strong ally and it was in the late Sam de Silva and match winning century in onship beating Pakistan in the final at Pakistan that Sri Lanka played its first his mother Indrani. the second innings and Lahore. overseas Test. In fact, to date, Sri enabled Sri Lanka to After dismissing the hosts for 238 Lanka has played more Test matches square the series with a 42 runs in their first innings, Sri Lanka against Pakistan than any other coun- run win. posted a mammoth 528 thanks to try. for over eight hours. De Silva was Muttiah Muralitharan was , who scored 230 Of the 34 matches, Sri Lanka has unbeaten on 93 on his 20th birthday named Man of the Match after runs. It was a remarkable effort won seven Tests with Pakistan win- and the following morning, he picking seven wickets in the because having kept wickets, the left- ning 15 and 12 games ending in draws. reached his maiden Test century, Test, but the contributions of de hander came to the crease in the very Of those 15 defeats, Sri Lanka has lost hitting the legendary Silva and a first innings hun- first over of the Sri Lankan innings seven games by an innings. for a six. That was the first sign of dred by Hashan Tillekeratne when fell for a first Sri Lanka’s lowest total in Tests is what was to follow in a stellar went a long way in the tourists ball duck and batted for eight long also against the Pakistanis, when they career and among those who were turning the tables. hours showing plenty of steel. were bowled out for 71 runs at the fortunate to witness that achieve- It turned out to be a memo- Pakistan were bowled out for 325 Asgiriya International Cricket ment were Aravinda’s parents, the rable series for them as having runs in their second innings as Vaas Stadium as Waqar and Wasim bowled late Sam de Silva and his mother squared the series they went onto and Muralitharan picked up four the 28 overs that were required to bowl Indrani. seal the series by winning the wickets each. This win marked the the hosts out with the former claiming The highest wicket taker in third Test in Sialkot by 144 runs. tenth successive Test victory for the six wickets and the latter four. Tests between the two countries is Sri Lankans. Their previous nine Their second lowest total in Tests Muttiah Muralitharan, who has 80 A purple patch for Wasim wins had come against India, West also came against the Pakistanis when wickets in 16 Tests against Pakistan Over the years, some bowlers Indies, Zimbabwe and . they were bundled out for 73 runs, at 25:46, followed by Wasim have had such an effect on the again at Asgiriya 12 years later with Akram, who has 63 wickets in 19 Sri Lankan batsmen that virtu- The Jayasuriya show Mohammad Asif and Tests at 21:26. is ally facing them have been The first Test between Sri Lanka doing the damage this time, with five third in the list with his 56 nightmares. Sir and Pakistan in 2004 in Faisalabad and four wickets respectively. wickets in 13 Tests coming at had such an impact on the Sri was hanging in the balance after Sri Inzamam-ul-Haq is the leading run an average of 22:73. Lankan batsmen in the 1980s Lanka made 243 in their first innings scorer in Tests between the two coun- Imran Khan’s record that the term ‘Hadlee Phobia’ and Pakistan responded with 264. tries with his 1559 runs coming at an against the Sri Lankans was commonly used. Later, There had been speculation about average of 59:96 with five 100s and with the ball is phenome- South African great Alan Jayasuriya’s future after he had strug- seven 50s. nal. He’s the joint fourth Donald terrorized the Sri gled with the bat and as he has done is second in the highest wicket taker Lankan batsmen in the mid time and again, whenever there had list with 1490 runs in 17 Tests at 51:37 with Chaminda Vaas 1990s, but the influence Wasim been pressure on him, the veteran with four 100s, including a double hun- with his 46 wickets Akram had on the Sri Lankan responded in style. dred and six 50s. They are followed by coming at an amaz- players and the embarrassment he From 309 for three, Sri Lanka two stalwarts of Sri Lankan cricket, ing average of 14:63 caused were greater than anyone slumped to 337 for eight losing five Aravinda de Silva and Arjuna in 10 Tests. wickets for 28 runs. From thereon, Ranatunga, who have scored 1475 runs Jayasuriya added 102 runs for the at 42:14 and 1210 runs at 33:61, respec- ninth wicket with tively. Wasim Akram reserved his best when in a partnership that swung the game Of de Silva’s 20 Test hundreds, playing against the Sri Lankans. Both back in Sri Lanka’s favour. Jayasuriya eight have been scored against vari- his Test hat-tricks came against them was 164 when the eighth wick- ous Pakistani attacks and he’s easi- and that too in successive Test matches et fell, but went on to post 253, before ly the leading century maker in being last man out in a solo effort. Tests between the two nations. His during the Asian Test Championship in Fernando’s contribution during the first Test hundred was also scored 1999. 102 run stand was a mere one run as against them when he made that Jayasuriya went for the boundaries. famous 122 at Faisalabad, coming In all, he hit 33 boundaries and four in at number seven where he batted sixes. !