MARCH was truly a month of miracles. One need only take a superficial glance at remarkable deeds on the field of cricket across the globe to come to this conclusion. True the spotlight centred on the long-awaited clash between Pakistan and India, but there were other cricketing fixtures that invited keen attention as well.
The Indians, touring Pakistan after a period of more than 14 years, came from behind to win their first One-Day series against their arch-rivals, in Pakistan. The tone was set by that incredibly emotionally-charged first One-Day International at National Stadium which put an end to all apprehensions pertaining security fears that has isolated Karachi as an international centre in the past couple of years.
Nevertheless, trailing 2-1, Saurav Ganguly’s team sealed the series with victories in the final two matches at Qadhafi Stadium in teh most dramatic fashion. The most heartening feature of all was the excellent behaviour of the Pakistani public throughout the series. This was something that came as a pleasant but welcome surprise in both Pakistan and India. Cricket has unquestionably come a long way in bonding friendship.
By Thursday morning the dream was nearing perfection. India had finally won its first Test in Pakistan. All thanks to the swashbucking Delhi opening batsman Virender Sehwag, who joined an elite club of batsmen with his 309 at Multan. He became the first to score a triple century in India's 72-year Test history.
At the same time, across the Indian Ocean, in Sri Lanka, Australia strengthened their claims as the undisputed world champions with their first Test series triumph on the subcontinent for six years, with clinical precision, to hand Sri Lanka their maiden whitewash on the latter’s home soil, despite conceding first innings lead in all three Tests.
Ricky Ponting, starting the new era in Australian cricket as Test skipper after the culmination of Steve Waugh’s dominating reign, was helped in his endeavour by the return of Shane Warne.
The magical legspinner returned to the game after serving a 12-month ban for taking diuretic drugs on the eve of World Cup 2003.
Warne announced his comeback emphatically as he spun his way towards the world record Test haul of 519 wickets, currently in the hands of retired West Indian fast bowler Courtney Walsh. He mesmerised the Sri Lankans — snaring 26 scalps — to such an extent that Hashan Tillekeratne was forced to abdicate the Test captaincy.
Muttiah Muralitharan, who is also bidding for the bowling world record, took two more wickets than Warne but finished four behind the Australian’s tally of 517 Test wickets. Muralitharan, whose career has been blighted by controversies because of his peculiar bowling action, was left with more queries over his latest acquired delivery as the ICC match referee Chris Broad, an Englishman, reported the matter to the game’s governing body. Across the seas in New Zealand, Stephen Fleming, the Kiwi captain since 1997, was one match away from rewriting his country’s history. That is, until Graeme Smith stepped in and teh South African captain denied his hosts their first-ever Test series victory over South Africa with a flawless unbeaten century in Wellington to give a parting gift the retiring Gary Kirsten.
Fleming, however, had something to cherish since New Zealand beat South Africa for the first time in a One-Day series, a 5-1 thrashing that was well deserved although the South Africans had been complaining of lethargy after being on the road for a long time. But in this age of professionalism, this is merely tantamount to lame excuses.
West Indies continued their steady fall from grace under Brian Lara when England virtually stomped them without much difficulty to go 2-0 up in the four-match Test rubber and remain on verge of winning their first series in the Caribbean for 36 years. They have already retained the Wisden Trophy they won in England four years ago.
At the other end of the table, Bangladesh were on an African safari. But that didn’t stop Zimbabwe all-rounder Andy Blignaut in taking his country's first Test hat trick, dismissing Bangladeshi trio of Hannan Sarkar, Mohammad Ashraful and Mushfiqur Rahman off successive deliveries in the Harare Test.
Nevertheless, Bangladesh had at last something to celebrate — their maiden victory after being granted Test status — when they shocked Zimbabwe by eight runs at Harare after the first two ODIs in Bulawayo were washed out. But sanity, prevailed in the remaining two games as Zimbabwe won comfortably.
Bangladesh must have been inspired by the performance of their junior squad who literally toppled Australia, Under-19 World Cup champions in 2002, in the Plate Championship final in front of ardent home supporters at Dhaka’s Fatullah Cricket Stadium, also by eight runs.
A day later, Pakistan also made history by winning the ICC Under-19 World Cup with a 25-run victory over West Indies at the Bangabandhu National Stadium, the Test centre in Dhaka. Four weeks have passed and yet nobody, either in the Pakistan Cricket Board or the government, had bothered to applaud the new world champions!
MARCH was truly a month of miracles. One need only take a superficial glance at remarkable deeds on the field of cricket across the globe to come to this conclusion. True the spotlight centred on the long-awaited clash between Pakistan and India, but there were other cricketing fixtures that invited keen attention as well.
