Akram joins 400 Club

JUNE 16: Wasim Akram revived Pakistan’s ailing innings with a brilliant 78 and then captured his 400th Test wicket in a compelling performance against Sri Lanka.

Akram, who already has more than 400 wickets in One-Day Internationals, became only the fourth bowler to reach that milestone in Tests when he had Russel Arnold caught at second slip by Mohammed Wasim for one.

All-rounder Akram joins West Indian Courtney Walsh (454 wickets), India’s Kapil Dev (434) and New Zealand’s Richard Hadlee (431) on the landmark figure.

A delighted Akram raised his arms in joy, looked up at the skies, hugged his teammates and went back into the pavilion for a much-needed rest after completing the significant over on the third day of the first Test.

When bad light forced an early close, Sri Lanka were 53-2 in their second innings — 60 ahead.

Earlier, Akram had revived Pakistan during a record last wicket stand of 90 with Arshad khan, who made his highest score in Test cricket of nine.

Akram and Arshad beat Pakistan’s 10th wicket record in Tests against Sri Lanka of 65 by Moin khan and Aamir Nazir at Sialkot in the 1995-96 series.

Pakistan, tottering on 176-9 at one stage, were all out for 266 just after tea in reply to Sri Lanka’s first innings of 273.

Akram, who came in at the fall of the sixth wicket at 160, was bowled by test debutant Dilhara Fernando.

His flawless innings contained six fours and two sixes, one of which narrowly missed a six-year-old child and a television set when the ball landed in the press box.

Earlier, Muttiah Muralitharan sent Pakistan tumbling in the morning session in which six wickets fell for 59 after they resumed at the overnight 130-3.

Off-spinner Muralitharan added three wickets to the two he had taken on the second day, giving him 5-115. It is his 19th five-wicket haul in a Test innings.

Muralitharan started the slide by snapping up opener Saeed Anwar from the second ball of the day before he had added to his overnight 56.

Buoyed by that early success, Sri Lanka mounted more pressure on the Pakistanis and dismissed Inzamam-ul-Haq (12), Abdur Razzaq (0), captain Moin khan (47), Waqar Younis (4) and Mushtaq Ahmed (2).

Scoreboard

Sri Lanka (1st innings): 273

Pakistan (1st innings; overnight 130-3): Saeed Anwar c Ranatunga b Muralitharan 56, Mohd Wasim c Arnold b Fernando 8, Younis Khan c Fernando b Muralitharan 23, Yousuf Youhana c Jayawardene b Muralitharan 2, Moin Khan c Fernando b Zoysa 47, Inzamam-ul Haq c Jayawardene b Zoysa 12, Abdur Razzaq run out 0, Wasim Akram b Fernando 78, Waqar Younis c Zoysa b Muralitharan 4, Mushtaq Ahmed c Arnold b Muralitharan 2, Arshad Khan not out 9; Extras: (lb4, w3, nb18) 25. Total (all out in 120.5 overs) 266

Fall of wickets: 1-16, 2-67, 3-75, 4-130, 5-159, 6-160, 7-165, 8-173, 9-176

Bowling: Vaas 29-7-52-0 (3nb), Zoysa 19-4-30-2, de Silva 3-1-4-0, Fernando 15.5-1-53-2 (6nb, 3w), Muralitharan 47-12-115-5 (9nb), Jayawardene 2-1-2-0, Ranatunga 1-1-0-0, Jayasuriya 4-3-6-0.