Wisden
First Test

ZIMBABWE v PAKISTAN 1994-95

Zimbabwe not only created history with their first victory in their 11th Test, but did it with style, by an innings inside four days. The Flowers took control on the first afternoon in a record-breaking fourth-wicket partnership, and Pakistan never got back into the game. Streak forced them to follow on and they folded in 62 overs on their second attempt.

The match had a farcical start when the referee, Jackie Hendriks, demanded a second toss. Salim Malik had called Bird, the national symbol on one side of the Zimbabwean coin, instead of Heads; Andy Flower congratulated him on winning but Hendriks said he had not heard the call. Flower won at the second attempt and chose to bat. Until lunch, Pakistan seemed to shrug off their frustration. Aqib Javed and Wasim Akram dismissed Dekker, Campbell and Houghton as Zimbabwe reached 42. After the interval, Wasim bowled seven maiden overs in succession. But from then on, the Flowers flourished.

Andy, the elder brother, was the dominant partner, reaching his second Test century in three and a half hours. The brothers' stand passed 194, Zimbabwe's all-wicket record set by Campbell and Houghton against Sri Lanka three months earlier, and was 247 at the close, with Andy on 142 and Grant on 88. Next day they took it to 269, overtaking the fraternal Test record of 264 shared by Greg and Ian Chappell for Australia's third wicket against New Zealand in 1973-74, before Andy was out. But there was no relief for the bowlers. Whittall joined Grant in another double-hundred partnership. Both completed maiden Test centuries; Grant, who had been dropped at 24 and 98, took 343 balls to reach his hundred but then speeded up to covert it to a double in another 177. He had batted for 11 hours and hit only ten fours in a marathon display of discipline and concentration. His brother declared at 544 for four, Zimbabwe's highest Test total, beating their 462 for nine against Sri Lanka in October.

Pakistan lost one wicket on the second evening, to Henry Olonga, the first non-white player to appear for Zimbabwe. His first delivery went for four wides, his second was a bouncer, and Andy Flower caught Saeed Anwar down the leg side off the third. But Olonga's debut ended in disaster next day. As in the previous tour match, he was no-balled for throwing, by umpire Robinson - the first recognised bowler to be called in a Test since Ian Meckiff for Australia against South Africa in Brisbane in 1963-64 - and later retired with a side strain. But accurate medium-pace bowling by Streak, with six for 90, brilliant fielding and some careless shots by the batsmen finished off Pakistan 222 in arrears. Aamir Sohail, Salim Malik and Ijaz Ahmed all made a start before getting themselves out; Inzamam-ul-Haq, batting at No. 8 after damaging his shoulder in the slips, showed more authority in making 71. Inzamam was also the principal source of resistance when Pakistan followed on and collapsed to 35 for five. He and Rashid Latif added 96 but, apart from them and Wasim, no-one else reached double figures. There were three wickets each for seamers Streak, who returned the best Test analysis yet for Zimbabwe, Brain and Whittall, as Pakistan were all out for an ignominious 158.

Men of the Match: A. Flower and G. W. Flower.

Close of play: First day, Zimbabwe 289-3 (G. W. Flower 88*, A. Flower 142*); Second day, Pakistan 51-1 (Aamir Sohail 28*, Akram Raza 8*); Third day, Pakistan 271-7 (Inzamam-ul-Haq 53*).

© John Wisden & Co