ONE of the most exciting Test series is now in progress in Multan as hosts Pakistan are battling rivals India in the first of the three Tests, in Multan.
Since getting the full ICC membership in 1952, Pakistan has enjoyed a healthy Test life since. However, it is its rivalry with India that has drawn crowds to the stands.
The 1952-53 rubber was expectedly won by India. Still, that didn’t stop Pakistan from winning its first Test (at Lucknow) ever. But when India paid a return visit in 1954-55, all five Tests were played to a dull draw. five years later, the result was the same when Pakistan stepped into India for the 1960-61 series. Yet again, all five Tests walked to tame draws.
After 17 years, two wars and the creation of Bangladesh, India and Pakistan, finally deemed it safe to play cricket against each other once again. Bishan Bedi led the Indians to face-off against Mushtaq Mohammad’s Pakistan.
A full strength Pakistani side took on the Indians, which had with them the world famous spin-quartet that included Bedi, Venkataraghavan, Chandrashekar and Prassana. Also included in the tourists’ squad was a 19-year old young fast bowling prodigy, Kapil Dev.
For the famed Indian spinners it was, however, a nightmarish trip. The powerful Pakistani batting lineup, led by Zaheer meted out ruthless treatment that made fast their departure from international cricket.
For Pakistan, the historic rubber has sweet memories. After a dreary draw in Faisalabad, the series came alive in the Lahore Test Mudassar Nazar’s last-day deadly spell ensured a result in Pakistan’s favour. It was the first positive result after 14 no-result matches between the two teams.
After leading Pakistan in the World Cup campaign, Asif Iqbal was the logical choice to lead Pakistan in the six-match return series in India in 1979-80. However, he failed to inspire the team and Pakistan lost the rubber 2-0. Still, there were flashes of individual brilliance.
Sikander Bakht’s famous spell (8-69) at Delhi in the second Test while Wasim Raja’s superlative knock in the fourth Test at Kanpur, followed by Sikander and Ehtesham-ud-din’s combined effort to dismiss the Indians for very little to give Pakistan ascendancy in the match. The Test ended in a draw.
Before the last Test at Calcutta, Asif, perhaps to save himself from the wrath of the public back home, announced his retirement from Test cricket after the series. In order to make the match memorable, Asif declared Pakistan’s first innings while still in deficit, and his bold move almost paid off as India found itself tottering at 92-6. However, Pakistani bowlers failed to tighten the screws as India recovered to set Pakistan an improbable target.
Biased and partisan Indian umpiring came under heavy criticism throughout the tour by the touring management.
India’s return series in 1982-83 was dominated by one name; Imran Khan. He took 40 wickets in the six-Test rubber shredding to pieces an Indian batting line-up that comprised of Sunil Gavaskar, Gundapa Viswanath and Dilip Vengsarkar. In the process he handed Pakistan a memorable 3-0 victory.
But Imran’s great bowling came with a price, as soon after the rubber he was diagnosed with a hairline fracture, an injury that was to keep him out of cricket for two of his prime years.
The Pakistani batting lineup too excelled. Mudassar Nazar not only created a new Pakistan record by scoring four hundreds in the series, but also emulated his father Nazar Mohammad in carrying his bat through Pakistan’s completed innings.
Majid Khan, one of the most graceful batsmen produced by Pakistan, played his last Test innings in the fifth Test at Lahore. Unfortunately for the great batsman, he was dismissed for a duck.
In the absence of Imran, Zaheer Abbas led the team in 1983-84. But that didn’t really matter as both the teams refused to take any risks and the tour grind to a dreary draw. Though he did realize his age-old ambition of leading Pakistan, but fans and the media alike did not appreciate his style of defensive captaincy much.
When Indian Prime Minister Mrs. Indra Gandhi’s assassination caused a premature conclusion of the series, in 1984-85, fans must have heaved a sigh of relief. Yet another dull rubber full of draws was witnessed.
In the only innings on the lifeless wicket at Faisalabad, Pakistan scored a mammoth 674-6, till then Pakistan’s highest score in Test cricket. Mudassar Nazar became the first batsman in the annals of Test cricket to be dismissed one run short of a double hundred.
But it was the 1986-87 that proved to be the most memorable Test rubber of all. For Imran achieved what others had only dreamed off and have dreamed since. He became the first and till now the only Pakistan skipper to beat India in a Test series in India. Of course, lady luck too had its fair share in the victory.
To Imran credit, he was successful in raising the moral of his players just at the right time. The two spinners, Tauseef Ahmed and Iqbal Qasim, bowled splendidly on a wicket on which they were bowling bouncers on the fourth day, such variable was the bounce. The two unbelievable catches which Qasim took off his own bowling, signified the high spirit of the team. Those catches went a long way in clinching the rubber for Pakistan in a very closely fought match.
Sunil Gavaskar, one of the greatest openers of all times, bid farewell to cricket after this historic match.
Apart from this exciting Test, the first four matches of the series were tall scoring draws as both the teams adopted over-cautious attitude, perhaps saving their best for the last.
More tame draws were at hand during India’s return leg to Pakistan in 1989-90. Nonetheless, it had its moments of excitement.
It was during this rubber that Sachin Tendulkar made his Test debut in Karachi. Another highlight of the series was the voluntary appointment of two neutral umpires by Pakistan. John Hampshire and John Holder were the two English men in white coat selected to officiate in all matches of the series.
The 1990-91 tour itself was rather doubtful because of the continuous tension between the two neighbouring countries. Shiv Senna activists, just prior to the team’s arrival in India, dug the pitch at the Feroze Shah Kotla ground, where Pakistan was scheduled to play.
The three-Test rubber was reduced to a two-Test one after the last Test was included in the Asian Championship of cricket.
Pakistan played inspiring cricket to beat India in the first Test at Chennai after Sachin Tendulkar had brought his country on the brink of victory. Tendulkar’s suicidal shot at a crucial stage of the match triggered a collapse, which saw Pakistan earn a famous victory. The hospitality shown by the Chennai crowd was the highlight of this intriguing game. As the Pakistan team made a victory lap of the ground, the entire Chennai crowd stood up and cheered the visitors on their splendid performance.
In another rare display, Shahid Afridi scored a hundred in only his second Test.
With Pakistan one-up in the mini series, it was all to play for in the second and last Test at Delhi. Poor umpiring by the home umpire combined with poor shot selection by Pakistan batsmen played a huge part in a massive defeat. Leg-spinner Anil Kumble became only the second bowler in cricket history to take all ten wickets, in Pakistan’s second innings.
After an encouraging show in the series, Pakistan seemed to be on a roll with Wasim Akram in complete command. The visitors easily overcame resistance from the Indian batting order to score a convincing 46-run win. Unfortunately after the partisan crowd had threatened to disrupt the proceedings as India approached defeat, the victory rites were completed in front of an empty stadium.
Saeed Anwar, who till then was having a very ordinary Indian tour, finally came into his own and played a vintage knock. His unbeaten 189 should rank as the best ever innings by the attractive opener.
