CALL it a gift to the nation on its Independence Day or a tribute to Hanif Mohammad, Pakistan’s emphatic 10-wicket victory in the fourth Test against England on Sunday will remain etched in our minds for a long time to come.

Pakistan showed remarkable resilience by staging a comeback after two resounding defeats in a row, outplaying England in all departments of the game and levelling the series.

It was no mean achievement for Misbahul Haq and his charges to fight the home side on equal terms as England are known to be a tough team to beat on their own turf.

It was just a question of how and when Pakistan batsmen came into form. History shows that they are vulnerable in English conditions.

But on this tour, Pakistan remained unflappable to the end, thanks to the leadership of a stoical, Captain Cool Misbah, to inflict a crushing defeat on England in the final game.

At The Oval, Pakistan have won more Test matches than at any other venue in England, starting from 1954 when Fazal Mahmood “Fazalled” them with a 12-wicket haul to lead his side to its first win in this country. Sunday’s victory was Pakistan’s fifth at this venue. The last one here was in 2010.

STRANGE COINCIDENCE: At the risk of sounding superstitious, I recall a strange coincidence that struck me on Friday. On the second day of this Test, Pakistan resumed at the overnight score of 3-1, finishing on 340 for six at stumps — a total of 337 runs during the day. This matched the score that Hanif Mohammad recorded in his monumental 1958 innings at Bridgetown and it came on the day the legendary batsman was being laid to rest.

It seemed as if Pakistani batsmen had raised their game in memory of the great man, with Asad Shafiq making a brilliant century and Younis Khan going on to notch up a double hundred.

Sami Aslam was a revelation in this series and promises to be an asset for the future. And no praise can be enough for Misbah, especially his agility on the field that showed up a number of youngsters in the team.

A word about the bowlers wouldn’t be out of place. Mohammad Amir, Sohail Khan, Wahab Riaz and Rahat Ali proved to critics that they are a force to reckon with.

But Yasir Shah was the most impressive with his leg-spin and flippers that kept England batsmen guessing all the time.

Misbah and his men have done the country proud indeed.

Published in Dawn, August 15th, 2016