DHAKA, MARCH 12: Off-spinner Arshad Khan claimed a mesmeric haul of five for 38 as Pakistan restricted Sri Lanka to 231 and began a confident reply making 33 without loss on the opening day of the Asian Test Championship final today.Pakistan openers Saeed Anwar (batting 16) and Wajahatullah Wasti (batting 7) played out ten overs without taking any risks though Anwar survived confident leg before appeals by left-arm pace spearhead Chaminda Vaas.Skipper Wasim Akram struck early blows with two wickets off successive deliveries after Sri Lanka chose to bat first on a Bangabandhu Stadium wicket expected to favour spinners before Arshad Khan produced his career-best effort.Pakistan, favourites to claim the inaugural title as the best Asian Test team, claimed all four bowling points after dismissing Sri Lanka in 78 overs, soon after tea. Sri Lanka had to be content with two batting points.Stand-in skipper Aravinda de Silva struck a valiant 72 and raised a crucial 65-run fourth-wicket stand with thestylish Maravan Atapattu (36), but none of the other batsmen could offer any real resistance with 37 extras emerging the second biggest contribution.Pak skipper Wasim Akram removed opener Avihska Gunawardena (4) and Mahela Jayawardene (0) off consecutive deliveries and Sri Lanka to start the Lankan fall.Arshad Khan, the tall 28-year-old hailing from Peshawar playing in only his third Test, ripped through the late order and tail to easily surpass his previous best effort of three for 73 he claimed against Australia at Karachi late last year.The first Test match hosted in Dhaka for 30 years- New Zealand played Pakistan here in 1969 in the erstwhile East Pakistan- began in a dramatic fashion before a crowd of around 15,000 that had made it to the ground despite the absence of India in the final.Sri Lanka started with a flourish as 16 runs came off the first two overs, with young paceman Shoaib Akhtar being hit for 12 runs in his first over.But Akram forced Gunawardene to edge to Wasti at thirdslip and then beat and trapped Jayawardene leg before with an incoming delivery.Talented left-hander Russel Arnold, coming from splendid knocks of 123 and unbeaten 56 in Lahore, was bowled by Akhtar to leave Sri Lanka at a precarious 3 for 19.But de Silva, returning from groin injury to lead the side in Arjuna Ranatunga's absence, struck his 19th Test fifty under pressure to stem the rot alongwith Atapattu.Both played cautiously and Pakistan bowlers seeking extra pace also sent down a liberal dose of no balls. De Silva and Atapattu added 65 runs in only 108 balls, but even as Sri Lanka seemed to emerge out of troubled waters, Atapattu threw away his wicket as he needlessly tried to sweep a straighter ball from crafty off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq to fall leg before.ScoreboardSri Lanka (1st innings): Russel Arnold b Shoaib 10, Avishka Gunawardane c Wasti b Akram 4, Mahela Jayawardena lbw Akram 0, Maravan Atapattu lbw Saqlain 36, Aravinda de Silva lbw Arshad 72, Hashan Tilekaratne c Wasti bArshad 15, Romesh Kaluwitharana c Youhana b Arshad 9, Upul Chandana c Moin b Shoaib 15, Chaminda Vaas not out 20, Pramodaya Wickremasinghe c Wasti b Arshad 2, Sajeeva de Silva c Moin b Arshad 11; Extras: (b12, lb9, nb16) 37. Total: (all out in 78 overs) 231Fall of wickets: 1-16, 2-16, 3-19, 4-84, 5-119, 6-135, 7-177, 8-201, 9-208.Bowling: Akram 14-2-45-2, Akhtar 13-3-36-2, Saqlain 29-6-76-1, Afridi 2-0-15-0, Arshad 20-5-38-5.Pakistan (1st innings): Saeed Anwar batting 16, Wajahatullah Wasti batting 7; Extras (b8, lb1, nb1): 10. Total (for no loss in 10 overs): 33Bowling: Vaas 5-0-14-0, Wickremasinghe 3-0-9-0, Sajeeva de Silva 2-1-1-0.
