THE domination of the Australians is so overwhelming and predictable that teams facing them now stand only an outside chance to stage an upset. Even the age old rivalry against England to retain or regain cricket’s ultimate trophy ‘The Ashes’ has lost its billing for the simple reason that in their last five successive series, the Australians have remained unbeatable and unstoppable.
In a contest between the two, the spark which lit their encounters, no more ignites the kind of spirit. The present English outfit may perhaps turn the tide in the forthcoming series during the English summer. Till then the interest may remain mild and mute. Pakistan meeting India on a cricket field therefore is now the ultimate contest.
Described recently as the greatest show on ‘Planet-Cricket’ it certainly fits the bill. The ingredients that make it tick has more to it than the eye can see. The contests between the two has rarely been dull. Excitement, drama, fun and controversies have always been a part of it making people emotional and excited about it from the moment thee two line up for the battle.
The competition between the two has always been exciting. The most abiding being Pakistan’s first win in a series in India in 1987, when led by Imran Khan, Pakistan having drawn the first four Tests won the final at Bangalore by 16 runs as spinners Iqbal Qasim and Tauseef Ahmed spun India out on a minefield of a wicket, despite the skill of Sunil Gavaskar who played a brilliant innings of 90 not-out runs. Remember, it was during that Test Series that Gavaskar became the first man in Test history to reach the landmark of 10,000 runs, at Ahmedabad on the fourth day of the fourth Test.
As soon as he got to the coveted figure he was mobbed by a frenzied crowd who had invaded the ground. In the melee a rubbish bag was thrown on to one of the Pakistani players. Imran in anger and protest led his team back to the pavilion as Gavaskar the record breaker stayed put in the middle along with the umpires.
When calm was restored Imran walked out with seven of his men wearing helmets. The crowd was so embarrassed that no one after that dared to throw anything on the ground. Only on Pakistan’s last tour to India in 1999-2000, the under-rated Pakistan sprung a surprise by beating India at Chennai in the first Test by 12 runs. Chasing nearly 270 runs, India were 85 for 4 before they were rescued to some extent through Sachin Tendulkar’s century. But once he was gone, Saqlain Mushtaq and Wasim Akram made a short work of the rest. The crowd at Chennai gave Pakistan a standing ovation.
At Delhi, Pakistan lost by 212 runs as Anil Kumble took 10 wickets in the second innings to become only the second bowler, after England’s Jim Laker to achieve this feat. Nearly 400,000 people watched the first Asian Test Championship match at the Eden Garden in the same series where Pakistan won the Test by 46 runs, but not before 60,000 people were evacuated from the ground on the final day after crowd disturbance as India headed towards certain defeat.
It was only us, the media people and the police force who remained there, to witness Pakistan march ahead. Spinners Anil Kumble and Saqlain Mushtaq were the stars of the Series. However, Saqlain is no more on this tour because of injury. But back then he was in great form taking a haul of five wickets, four times in first two Tests. Many years ago, it was Zaheer Abbas who put the Indian spinners to the sword.
It was hi versus Bedi, Chandrashekhar, Venkat and Prassana when he notched up two double centuries in 1978 and 1982. It was poetry in motion. In the 1982 series, the Pakistan captain was as much a star. Imran’s 11 for 79 at Karachi and 11 for 180 at Faisalabad spoke volumes of his quality as a fast bowler despite Gavaskar’s century in each innings of the Karachi Test and the brilliance of Vishwanath, Vengsarkar, Amarnath and Kapil Dev.
Even the last series, the first in 14 years on Pakistan soil was as much memorable for thee mere fact that the two teams produced exciting cricket and reached memorable feats like Virendar Sehwag’s triple hundred at Multan, Rahul Dravid’s wall like defence and Inzamam-ul-Haq’s brilliance with the bat. Last year though, it were the Indians who went home with the honours. And now it’s Pakistan in India as once more, the spirit of cricket rekindles.
THE domination of the Australians is so overwhelming and predictable that teams facing them now stand only an outside chance to stage an upset. Even the age old rivalry against England to retain or regain cricket’s ultimate trophy ‘The Ashes’ has lost its billing for the simple reason that in their last five successive series, the Australians have remained unbeatable and unstoppable.
