Sri Lanka take control
in ATC final

Sri Lanka gained the upper hand on the opening day of the Asian Test Championship final by reaching 94 for one in reply to Pakistan's first innings 234.

They required just four bowlers and 67 overs to dismiss defending champions Pakistan, 40 minutes after tea, in Lahore on Wednesday.

Sri Lanka raced to 94 by the close with Sanath Jayasuriya rattling up 47 from 67 balls and Kumar Sangakarra 39 from 60 balls.

It was a disappointing day for the home side in front of a crowd of 3,000 watching the first Test played in Pakistan since the September 11 attacks on the United States.

Things went Sri Lanka's way from the moment Sanath Jayasuriya won the toss and elected to bowl first on a grassy, seamer-friendly pitch. But while the pitch may have held demons for Pakistan's batsmen, Jayasuriya and Sangakkara faced no problems as the light faded, despite losing opener Marvan Atapattu on the first ball of the innings to Waqar Younis.

The two left handers, who played out 21 overs, were in top form as they tore into the Pakistan pace attack, particularly Shoaib Akhtar, who was hit for four boundaries in his first spell of two overs.

The two men brought up the Sri Lankan 50 in just nine overs and 46 minutes, as both unleashed super drives on the off-side against undisciplined bowling.

PACE ATTACK

But if the Pakistan bowlers were inconsistent in line, the Sri Lankan pacers did everything their captain asked from them.

And champion off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan was in his element as he bowled 25 overs from one end to finish with four for 55 to take his tally to 408 wickets in 73 Tests.

He went through the lower order batting although the Pakistan tail led by Rashid Latif's sedate 36 from 89 balls, including five fours, managed to boost the score which was 176 for seven at one stage.

Latif shared a valuable 40-run stand for the eighth wicket with his captain Waqar Younis.

Murli's ability to attack the batsmen from one end allowed pacers Chaminda Vaas, Nuwan Zoysa and Charitha Buddhika Fernando to go flat out -- although this did result in 31 extras, including 26 no-balls.

Fernando bowled 13 of these, but the 23 year old from Panadura picked up the important wickets of Inzamamul Haq, Yousaf Youhana and Shoaib Malik either side of lunch to prevent any significant partnership developing.

PAKISTAN SLIP

Pakistan never recovered after losing openers Taufiq Umar and Shahid Afridi with the total on 18, and then top scorer Younis Khan, 46, and Inzamam, 29, were dismissed in successive overs as the hosts slipped to 108 for four.

Younis was in fine form as he faced 66 balls and hit eight fours and a six in his innings, after being involved in a comical mix-up with Shahid Afridi in the first hour, which saw Afridi run out.

Younis shared the best partnership of the innings of 86 runs with Inzamam before he displayed poor judgement in the penultimate over before lunch.

Having struck Murli for two fours and a six to mid wicket to bring up the Pakistan hundred, he played an ambitious sweep round his legs onto the stumps.

The Pakistan total was poor given that they went into the match with eight reputed batsmen at the cost of dropping their experienced off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq to accommodate the young off-spin allrounder Shoaib Malik at number seven.

Mail Cricket Editor