Wasim Akram leads Pakistan recovery in centenary test match.

Percy Abesekara is Sri Lanka's loudest, most colourful and probably most loyal supporter but even he could not help to be annoyed by Sri Lanka's failure to finish off the Pakistan tail in Colombo today. The Sri Lankan flag, which he waves so proudly at every home match, was eventually entrusted to a ball boy in despair, as Wasim Akram (78) and Arshad Khan (9*) changed the course of the match with a record breaking 90 run partnership for the last wicket. However even Percy couldn't fail but acknowledge a landmark achievement for one of the world's greatest bowlers.

Having rescued his side from almost certain defeat after Pakistan slumped to 176-9, Wasim Akram tore into the Sri Lankan batsmen. In partnership with Waqar he reduced the Sri Lankans to 53-2 at the close and in process claimed his much awaited 400th wicket when Russel Arnold pushed forward tentatively to an outswinger and was caught by Mohammad Wasim at second slip.

Speaking to the press after the match Wasim Akram was clearly delighted to have become only the forth bowler in the history of test cricket to have reached 400 wicket landmark: "I am very happy and satisfied as my aim two years ago was to get 400 wickets and I think with the way that I am bowling and with my present fitness I think that I can play for another year and a half, so lets see how many wickets I get. I think God must have got this moment for me to get some runs and get the 400th wicket."

Asked who had been the most important influence on him in his cricketing career he replied: "I think that Imran Khan has been a great positive influence in your cricketing career. He taught me all the techniques and bio-mechanics of bowling."

His advice to upcoming youngsters was that: "At whatever level you play at you have to work hard, be very focussed and be very mentally tough. If you go through rough patches then just hang in there and God will help you."

Dav Whatmore has talked about the need to gain a psychological advantage early on in the tour and it looked like Sri Lanka had done just that after Mutiah Muralitharan claimed his 19th five-wicket haul in test matches during the morning session.

However like in the Rawlapindi test match in the last series, Sri Lanka was unable to finish off the Pakistan tail. On wicket that has become increasingly uneven in bounce and favourable to the spinners, the Sri Lankan lead at the fall of the ninth wicket was a match winning 100 runs.

Quite inexplicably Sanath Jayasuriya entrusted the new boy, Dilhara Fernando, with the responsibility of taking the last wicket. Wasim was given the opportunity to score freely was able wrestle the initiative away from the Sri Lankans. Mixing some determined defence with some typically savage blows, one of which sailed into the press box and nearly destroyed the television and a shocked journalist.

He had his share of luck in the early overs: twice top edging pulls that fell agonisingly short of the Sri Lanka fielders. Arshad Khan also deserves great credit for his stubborn resistance. Using his pad to Murali, after being scolded for having the audacity to use his bat, he was able to negate Sri Lanka's most penetrative bowler.

Jayasuriya mixed his bowlers around to try and unsettle the batsmen but to no avail. Even a short one over spell just prior to tea by the wily veteran, Arjuna Ranatunga, could not break the partnership. After tea Dilhara Fernando eventually broke through when he bowled Akram off an inside edge.

The Pakistan team came out firing on all cylinders in the second innings and clearly sensed an opportunity to take control of the match. Waqar Younis pounded to the crease like only he can and troubled all the batsmen with his consistent away swing and pace. Wasim too bowled a yard quicker than he done in the first innings.

In the seventh over Jayasuriya (8) unwisely padded up to a perfect inswinger from Waqar to become the matches first LBW victim. Russel Arnold (1) has looked out of touch in this match and struggled against both bowlers.

Meanwhile Marvan Attapattu was exuding the kind of class and judgement that Sri Lankans have become used to in recent months. Resisting the fatal temptation to push out to Waqar's searing outswingers he took the attack to anything wide and short but was lucky to not become Wasim's 400th victim when he was dropped at cover by Mustaq Ahmed.

But Wasim could not be denied for long and Arnold was doomed to be forever remembered in cricket history as Wasim's 400th wicket. With the innings precariously placed on 25-2 Wasim then retired to the sanctuary of his dressing, content to have finally achieved his two year goal.

His retirement to the dressing room provided the Sri Lankans with the respite they needed. Aravinda De Silva unleashed a few typical blows to relieve the pressure and in partnership with the steady Attapattu led Sri Lanka to the relative comfort of 53-2.

Resuming their innings in the morning on 130-3 Mutiah Muralitharan claimed his third wicket with just the second delivery of the day. Saeed Anwar (56) the victim of his own laziness as he tried to run the spinner down to third man. Inzaman-ul-Haq (12) was the next to go: caught in the gully after a nasty lifting delivery from Nuwan Zoysa. Soon after Razzaq (0) was run out without scoring and Moin Khan (47) top edged a pull and was brilliantly caught by Dilhara Fernando on the long leg boundary. It ended a typically pugnacious innings from the Pakistan captain and left the team in serious trouble.

With two days remaining in this first test match there is likely to be a result if the weather holds and either side can still win. Sri Lanka have the advantage of bowling last but they will have to bat extremely well tomorrow morning to survive against this irresistible Pakistan bowling attack.