Date-stamped : 12 Sep95 - 10:22 Pakistan v Sri Lanka, TEST 1 Arbab Niaz Stadium, Peshawar, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 September 1995 ====> Prematch, 7 Sep 95 Jayasuriya out of Sri Lanka side for first Test against Pakistan -- Ranjan Anandappa reporting from Pakistan Sri Lankan cricketers are nursing their wounds having suffered one of the most astonishing defeats in recent times at the hands of a Board Patron`s XI in Rawalpindi in a pre-test match three day game losing by an innings and 6 runs with a day to spare. Let`s hope that they`ll forget this nightmarish experience and step into the all-important first Test beginning on Friday (8) Peshawar. Sri Lankans were rated fairly high when they arrived in Karachi for the 38-day tour, since their first Test win outside home soil in New Zealand. But their heavy defeat in the three-day game lowered their esteem and it is left to the entire team to restore their cricketing image, which Arjuna Ranatunga and his men are quite capable of. Writing them off is futile. And so, the Pakistan Cricket Board has named their best possible team. Wasim Akram has been released by his county Lancashire to represent his country. Waqar Younis has been declared fit and with this fierce bowling combination the Lankans will no doubt have enough headaches. Sri Lanka will open with Mahanama and Hathurusinghe. Aravinda de Silva`s absence has created a vaccum in the batting line up and without him the middle order looks decidedly thin. ``I feel sorry for Sri Lanka as their best batsman is missing for the first Test but from Pakistan`s point of view we will be happy if he is not available for the other Tests as well` said Mushtaq Mohammed the Pakistan Cricket Manager, when asked about Aravinda. If every player rallies round Arjuna Ranatunga it is certain that the Sri Lankans could come out of this deep hole. It looks certain that the Peshawar pitch will be prepared to suit the Pakistan pacemen. They have included five fastmen in their 15-member squad for the Test which the final XI will be picked on the morning of the match. Besides Wasim Akram and Waqar, there are three more extremely hostile speedsters Atha-ur- Rehman, Aquib Javed and Mohammed Akram. Off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq is the other newcomer. His 4- wicket haul against Sri Lanka has enabled him to stake a claim in the Test side. Ramiz Raja, a veteran of 40 Tests, leads Pak- istan. He made his first class debut in 1977-78 and played his first Test against England in 1984 at the National Stadium, Karachi. His two Test hundreds were also against Sri Lanka. Ramiz`s appointment as captain amidst controversies will also put the established openers Saeed Anwer and Aamir Sohail under tremendous pressure. In case one of them fails, Ramiz who has been occupying the middle order on a make shift basis could always fill the opening batsman`s berth. Left-armer Chaminda Vaas who made a big impact in recent Test matches will spearhead the Lankan bowling attack. If Sri Lanka opts to field three pacemen Ravindra Pushpakumara will join Pramodya Wickremasinghe. Brian Aldridge (New Zealand) and M. Riazuddin (Pakistan) will officiate in the first Test. The match referee is former South African captain Peter van der Merwe. The teams: Sri Lanka: Arjuna Ranatunga (captain), Roshan Mahanama (v-captain), Asanka Gurusinha, Chandika Hathurusinghe, Sanjeeva Ranatunga, Hashan Tillekeratne, Chamara Dunusinghe (wicket keeper), Chaminda Vaas, Pramodya Wickremasinghe, Ravindra Push- pakumara and M. Muralitheran. Pakistan: Ramiz Raja, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Aamir Sohail, Inzamam ul Haq, Aquib Javed, Moin Khan (wicket keeper), Zahid Fa- zal, Attar-ur-Rehman, Aamir Nazir, Mohammed Akram, Ijaz Ahamed (Junior), Saqlain Mushtaq, Shoaib Mohammed, Saeed Anwer. Source :: The Daily News (http://www.lanka.net/lakehouse/) Contributed by The Management (help@cricinfo.com) ====> Day 1, 8 Sep 95 Ramiz Raja led the way in his first Test as captain of Pakistan with a sparkling 78 as his side eased their way to 235-3 against Sri Lanka. Ramiz peppered the boundary with a glut of fours and was well supported by Inzamam-ul-Haq, who was unbeaten on 65 when bad light ended play early. Chaminda Vaas was the tourists` most effective bowler, claiming two wickets with his nagging medium pace. However the day was marred when the players were forced to take an early tea after some spectators threw oranges on the field. Contributed by Mathop (boland@*sci.kun.nl) ====> Day 2, 9 Sep 95 ====> Day 3, more Wasim finds the target as Pakistan take control Pace bowler`s five for 55 leaves Sri Lankans facing an innings defeat, reports Qamar Ahmed in Peshawar SRI LANKA, after being asked to follow on, were left facing an innings defeat in the first Test against Pakistan at Peshawar`s Arbab Niaz Stadium. Replying to Pakistan`s formidable 459 for nine declared, the tourists were bowled out for 186 and by close of play on the third day they were 86 for two in their second innings, still 187 runs behind. Wasim Akram, who bowled magnificently in the first innings to finish with five for 55, is in tremendous form, as is the 19- year-old debutant Saqlain Mushtaq, an off-spinner who bowled a tantalising length to pick up two for 49. The Sri Lankan batsmen, on a wearing wicket, face a daunting task in holding off those two and Waqar Younis and Aqib Javed. The tourists` batting was a big disappointment. The absence on Kent duty of Aravinda de Silva is one reason for their lack of depth in the middle order while lack of application is another. Wickets fell at regular intervals after the dismissal of the opener, Roshan Mahanama, who was caught at the wicket by Moin Khan off a rather rusty Waqar. Saqlain had Chandikar Hathurusinghe caught at the wicket by Inzaman-ul-Haq off the first delivery of his second over for 23 and in his second he had the prize wicket of Asanka Gurusinha, who drove him high to Akram at long off when on 24. At lunch Sri Lanka were 102 for four hav- ing lost Arjuna Ranatunga to Aqib. Akram took four wickets after lunch and was unplayable with the old ball as he cut and swung it to beat the bat. A full toss ac- counted for Sanjeewa Ranatunga, who was leg before. Shamara Dunusinghe stepped back to be plum in front without scor- ing and later, in one over, Akram uprooted the stumps of Chaminda Vaas and Pramodya Wickeramasinghe to reduce Sri Lanka to 143 for eight. Hashan Tillekaratne hit three fours in a row off Saqlain and put on 41 runs for the ninth wicket with Muttiah Muralitharan to bring some respectability to the score before their stand was broken by Akram. Sri Lanka were forced to follow on minutes later, leaving Til- lekaratne unbeaten on 44, having defied the Pakistanis for more than two and a half hours. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk) Contributed by The Management (help@cricinfo.com) ====> Day 4, 11 Sep 95 Wasim caught in line of fire - Qamar Ahmed Pakistan (459-9 dec) beat Sri Lanka (186 & 233) by an innings and 40 runs CROWD problems once more affected the first Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka when exuberant spectators throwing firecrackers had to be dispersed by baton-waving policemen. One firecracker almost struck Wasim Akram, who took seven wickets in the match as Pakistan won by an innings and 40 runs at the Ar- bab Niaz Stadium. On the first day play had to be stopped twice when Sri Lankan players were pelted with pieces of broken glass. Yesterday, for the second time in the match Sri Lanka`s batting failed dismally, emphaising how much they need the skills of Ara- vinda De Silva, who will arrive from England in time for the next Test, starting in Faisalabad on Friday. After having made 186 in the first innings in reply to Pakistan`s 459 for nine declared, the tourists, following on, had resumed at 23 for two on the fourth morning, but were all out for 233 in their second innings. Wasim, the man of the match, with two for 24, was once again the bowler who mattered, but Aamir Sohail took four for 54 with his gentle slow left-arm spin. The others contributed too as Sri Lan- ka, after being 214 for four, lost their last six wickets for 19 runs to be all out minutes before tea on the fourth day. If not for a record partnership of 125 between Arjuna Ranatunga and Hashan Tillekeratne for the fifth wicket after Sri Lanka were re- duced to 89 for four, the demise of their innings could have come a lot earlier. After Chandika Hathurasinghe was dismissed by Wasim at his over- night 53, and Sanjeewa Ranatunga was caught at the wicket off Aqib Javed in the third and fourth over of the day, both Ranatun- ga and Tillekeratne defied Akram and the rest for two and half hours to try to avert defeat. But once Ranatunga was caught at first slip by Inzamam-ul-Haq off Sohail and Tillekeratne fell to Wasim after lunch, the wickets tumbled. Ranatunga`s 76 was studded with 12 fours and Tillekeratne`s 48 contained six boundaries. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk) Contributed by The Management (help@*ogi.edu)