Wednesday 1st July, 2009 15 Sri Lanka’s first win against else’s. Pakistan Akram has taken two hat-tricks in Sri Lanka’s first Test win Test cricket 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 Lahore, 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 India Sri Lanka in that 1986 CCC Test and Wasim once again stamped his with Roshan Mahanama, Don authority by removing Avishka Anurasiri making their debuts, but Gunawardene, Chaminda Vaas and it was Kosala Kuruppuarachchi, the Mahela Jayawardene 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 wickets 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 Arjuna Ranatunga 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 captain in 1999 and the selectors over- badly again as Ravi Ratnayeke looked him for the Test and ODI tour picked up five for 37, leaving Sri of Zimbabwe 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 Aravinda de Silva’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 delivery 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 wicket 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 Muttiah Muralitharan left. after Wasim Akram 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 bowled 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 partnership 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 century, hitting first Test win abroad when they beat remained till the end with an unbeat- Veteran cricket administrator Neil New Zealand 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 duck, 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 England – 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 Kumar Sangakkara, 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 Imran Khan 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 Marvan Atapattu 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.