SHAHID AFRAID OF NONE...Pakistan opener steps and hammers medium pacer Chaminda Vaas (not in pic) for a six during their match at Gwalior.

GWALIOR, May 13: After eight minutes of total darkness (due to a power failure), Pakistan found light at the end of the tunnel to beat favourites Sri Lanka by 30 runs to win their first game in the Pepsi Independence Cup here on Monday night. Chasing Pakistan's total of 289 for seven, Sri Lanka were bowled out with one ball to go for 259.

The Sri Lankans, despite some late fightback by Roshan Mahanama (54) and Dharamsena (28), were never in the game after Man of the Match Aaqib Javed had broken the back of their strong batting line-up to finish with five for 35.

In the process he also completed 150 wickets in his 136th one-day match. Off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq proved an ideal foil as he took three wickets. He too reached a personal landmark, completing 100 one-day wickets in his 53rd match.

The Lankans were jolted in the first over when both Sanath Jayasuriya and Marvan Atapattu fell to Aaqib Javed's first and fifth deliveries.

Kaluwitharana become Javed's third victim when the Sri Lankan wicket-keeper was bowled, neck and crop.

With three wickets down for only 25 in only fifth overs, Sri Lanka were expected to stage a recovery through Aravinda de Silva and skipper Arjuna Ranatunga, but de Silva swung wildly and Ijaz took a well-judged catch at point. Javed had won half the battle for Pakistan, having taken four wickets for 25 in his seven overs.

Ranatunga and Hashan Tillekeratne made a valiant bid to keep the Lankan innings going by taking quick singles and some well executed boundaries.

But Salim Malik's gentle medium-pace scuttled the Lankan effort when he took two wickets in the 26th over, dismissed both Ranatunga and Tillekeratne in the space of four balls.

SCOREBOARD

PAKISTAN: Saeed Anwar st Kaluwitharana b Muralitharan 36 (60b, 89m, 5x4), Shahid Afridi c Kaluwitharana b S de Silva 52 (29b, 45m, 2x6, 9x4), Rameez Raja c A de Silva b S de Silva 49 (63b, 111m, 5x4), Ijaz Ahmed c Mahanama b Jayasuriya 29 (45b, 34m, 1x6, 2x4), Salim Malik b Vaas 49 (51b, 74m, 4x4), Inzamum-ul Haq b S de Silva 22 (22b, 16m, 2x6, 1x4), Moin Khan not out 23 (21b, 35m, 1x4), Mohd Hussain not out 17 (10b, 10m, 1x6, 1x4). Extras: (lb-3, b-4, w-5) 12. Total: (for six wickets in 50 overs) 289

Fall of wickets: 1-74, 2-112, 3-158, 4-190, 5-219, 6-260

Bowling: Vaas 10-1-71-1, Sanjeewa de Silva 10-0-59-3, Dharmasena 10-0-54-0, Muralitharan 10-1-39-1, Jayasuriya 10-0-59-1

SRI LANKA: Sanath Jayasuriya lbw Javed 0 (1b, 1m), Romesh Kaluwitharana b Javed 7 (13b, 25m, 1x4), Marvan Atapattu c Ijaz b Javed 0 (4b, 2m), Aravinda de Silva c Ijaz b Javed 33 (32b, 47m, 6x4), Arjuna Ranatunga c Azhar b Malik 58 (58b, 91m, 1x6, 5x4), Hashan Tillekeratne c Inzaman b Malik 29 (52b, 65m, 3x4), Roshan Mahanama c Ijaz b Saqlain 54 (68b, 79m, 2x6, 2x4), Kumara Dharamsena lbw Saqlain 28 (32b, 42m, 2x4), Chaminda Vaas b Javed 15 (23 b, 21m, 2x4), Muthiah Murlitharan c Mahmood b Saqlain 7 (15b, 20m), Sanjeeva de Silva not out 13 (7b, 8m, 1x6, 1x4). Extras: (10lb, 4nb, 1w) 15. Total: (all out in 49.5 overs): 259

Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-0, 3-25, 4-59, 5-134, 6-134, 7-205

Bowling: Javed 10-1-35-5, Mahmood 5-0-36-0, Saqlain 9.5-0-46-3, Afridi 8-0-58-0, Malik 10-0-46-2, Hussain 7-0-31-0

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.