Skipper Wasim Akram led from the front when it mattered most, taking three wickets in five balls to shatter Sri Lanka's hopes. The islanders were cruising along at 217 in the 46th over after master batsman Aravinda de Silva had paced his innings to perfection.

Then disaster struck. Aravinda rushed down the non-striker's end, only to be sent back by Hashan Tillekaratne. It was too late as 'keeper Moin Khan's throw caught Aravinda well short. He did not even wait for the third umpire's decision.

Aravinda and Mahela Jayawardena, partners in a century stand for the second wicket, had their share of luck. The former's uppish sweep just eluded Akram at short square leg, while the latter's skier off Saqlain Mushtaq was floored at mid-off by Arshad Khan.

Jayawardena, on 26 when reprieved, hoisted Saqlain over long off as the run-rate pickedup gradually.

Shoaib Akhtar started the Lankan slide by removing Jayawardena, but it was Aravinda's departure which made all the difference. Akram, with two hat-tricks in the last two Tests, was denied the chance for a third. He yorked two batsmen off successive deliveries but those were the last two wickets of the innings.

Earlier, speedster Pramodaya Wickramasinghe struck deadly blows to put Sri Lanka back in the contest after openers Saeed Anwar and Shahid Afridi threatened to run away with the match with a blazing stand of 148, off just 122 balls.

Wickramasinghe, back for his second spell after being thrashed for 34 in the first four overs, sent Afridi back with the first ball of his fifth, Inzamam-ul-Haq in the next and Ijaz Ahmed and Moin Khan in the eighth, as Pakistan struggled to 246 for nine in the stipulated 50 overs.

Wasim Akram did not think twice before opting to bat on a perfect batting strip and a majestic Anwar launched into the Lankan attack with ferocious cuts and drives. He pickedup Chaminda Vaas for special treatment, hitting him for three fours in his sixth over. But his best shot came when he welcomed Chandika Hathurusinghe with a magnificent square drive.