Lateef Jafri: Pakistan history -Debacle in India; lowest total at Perth (27 Oct 1997)

27 October 1997

Debacle in India; lowest total at Perth

By Lateef Jafri

ASIF Iqbal's qualifications as captain were supported by the selection committee, headed by veteran Test cricketer M.E.Z. Ghazali, and some officials of the board, at that time being run by an Ad hoc panel. He was given preference over Mushtaq Mohammad for the rather long and challenging three-month tour of India, which started in November 1979 and ended in the first week of February 1980 when the sixth Test at Calcutta ended in a draw.

However, the surprise in the team was the omission of such a famed all-rounder as Mushtaq as also pacer Sarfraz, axed for unexplained reasons. Both of them were fighting fit and in the fulness of form. The series was seized by India 2-0 though Pakistan exhibited its strength in the initial two Tests in Bangalore and New Delhi and the scales were tilted in the sixth engagement towards Pakistan. The Pakistani fans were sorrowful over the setbacks in the third and fifth Tests and many critics, as was to have been expected, linked Pakistan's below par performance in India to the influence of the betting cartels in India. The experts have yet failed to fully analyze Pakistan's capitulation in the series to the arch-rivals despite having a strong batting and bowling lineup.

The first Test at Bangalore saw a slow though rather technically sound century by Mudassar, a stylish 76 with swinging drives and majestic pulls by Javed Miandad. Gavaskar, replacing Bedi as India's captain, could be ruffled neither by Imran's fire and fury nor by the wile and guile of Qadir. He went serenely to 88 as Vishwanath scored merrily a polished 75. Rain intervened in the match so a draw was the just decision.

Wasim Bari and Iqbal Qasim set a 9th wicket record of 60 in the match. The teams moved to Delhi for the second Test, in which Pakistan initially had the upper hand but later in the second venture Vengsarkar (146), Yashpal Sharma and Vishwanath saved their side from defeat. Sikander Bakht, in one of his dangerous moods, sent deliveries which accelerated on pitching at the Feroze Shah Kotla strip. He removed Gavaskar, Chauhan and Vengsarkar among recognised batsmen and took 8 wickets in the Indian first innings, eclipsing Fazal's 7 for 42 at Lucknow in 1952-53.

The honours in the third Test at Bombay were carried away by India with success over Pakistan by 131 runs. There was a surprise batting slide by Pakistan in both the innings against bowling having no venom in pace or deception in spin. India, too, had not fared well but Pakistan's middle and lower order proved quite brittle even in the second innings. In a low-scoring match at Kanpur in the fourth Test Pakistan was apparently on the ascendant but rain neutralised all advantage and ultimately the match had a drawn result. The batting honours went to Gavaskar (81) in the second knock and Wasim Raja from the Pakistani side who missed the century by six runs. Sikander again had an impressive haul of five wickets while Kapil Dev picked up six wickets for 63 runs.

The Madras match, the fifth Test, was dominated by Kapil Dev whose splendid medium-pacers crashed through the defences of Pakistan batsmen. He took 11 wickets for 146 runs in the two innings and hit the Pakistan bowlers hard to make 84. He was the leading all-rounder in the match though Gavaskar sparkled while batting and scoring his 23rd hundred. The sixth Test ended in a draw though Pakistan tried hard to reach the target. Taslim Arif, making his debut, missed the hundred by just 10 runs.

Kapil Dev completed the double of 100 wickets and 1,000 runs in Tests. The series proved a debacle for Pakistan and Asif Iqbal before returning home announced his retirement from Test competition.

The Australians came on a visit to this country after 20 years, if the one-off Test in Karachi in October 1964 is not taken into reckoning, under the leadership of Greg Chappell. Javed Miandad had been given the helmsmanship of the national squad, which clinched the series 1-0 with the lone but convincing victory by seven wickets at Karachi's National Stadium.

On a turning strip the Australian batsmen were in trouble in the first Test facing the double spin attack of Iqbal Qasim and Tauseef. Qasim was almost unplayable in the Australian second knock, who collapsed for 140. They were 51 for two, then 90 for 6 and were back to the pavilion for 140. Though Australia's slow left-arm, Ray Bright, reaped a rich harvest (10-111) Majid Khan (89) and Taslim Arif (58) had the quick footwork and wristwork to counter the Australian bowlers and help Pakistan take a first innings lead of 67. After the Aussie slump in the second knock Pakistan galloped to a seven-wicket victory.

The second Test at Faisalabad was drawn more because a day had been lost due to flooded ground and the Aussies batted for a little more than two days for their first innings score of 617 in which captain Greg Chappell (235) and Yallop (172) thrashed the Pakistan bowling to shreds. Chappell shared third and fourth wicket partnership records with Hughes (179) and Yallop (217) respectively. Yet when he Australian first knock ended there was no time for a result. Taslim Arif scored a double century. There were cheers and applause for him as also for Javed Miandad who was pleasant to watch while arriving at his unbeaten century in which there was the strange happening of all eleven Australians coming to bowl. This was the second such incident after the England and Australia match at the Oval as far back as 1884.

Australia, with the help of Border's unbeaten hundred (150) and Greg Chappell's 150, put up a score of 407 in the first knock of the third Test at Qadhafi Stadium, Lahore. It was but meet that Pakistan exceeded their total by 13 runs, thanks to 110 not out by Majid Khan and Imran showing defiance and lovely strokes for his 56 at a lower order. When Border stole the limelight with a century in each innings and batted splendidly the game was over without coming to a decision. If 11 bowlers had been used by Australia in he earlier Test Pakistan called on ten to show that they too had all-rounders in their team. Border's pairing with Beard realised 134 for an Australian seventh wicket record in the second knock.

In November 1980 the Caribbeans, under the captaincy of Clive Lloyd, came on a visit to this country, bagging the series by virtue of victory in the second Test at Faisalabad. The West Indies had a strong batting lineup with Haynes, Richards, Kallicharan, Lloyd and Gomes displaying refined, polished yet vigorous strokes on the four Test venues where they played. The bowling with Croft, Clark, Marshall and Garner harassed the batsmen by the pace from the earth, the swings and the swerves. The variety was provided by Richards, Gomes and Nanan. Cricket was of the finest level for Pakistan too, had Zaheer, Majid, Wasim Raja, Imran Khan, Sarfraz, Iqbal Qasim and Qadir in their outfit.

Unfortunately inclement weather and rain hit most of the matches and took away the richness and thrill that one expected from the combatants of such high calibre. The first Test at the cricket headquarters of Lahore saw Imran shining as a batsman with his first century (123) and attaining the double of cricket-100 wickets and 1,000 runsand setting up a seventh wicket record of 168 with Sarfraz. The team was quivering at 188 for 6 but then the score went up to 356 at the fall of the seventh wicket. Qadir's disguised spin proved difficult for the West Indians, who made mistakes reading the turn. He claimed four wickets for 131 to give Pakistan a first innings lead of 72. Apart from Richards (75), Haynes (40) and Gomes (43) the rest of the West Indians had been at their wits' end.

It is a moot point who would have been successful in the Test for rain had washed out the third day's play and Pakistan in the second knock were tottering against pacer Clark and off-spinner Richards. The match was, ultimately, drawn.

The second Test, in which the West Indies were victorious, was mainly dominated by the battery of the visiting fast bowlers- Clark, Croft and Marshallthough the spinners Nanan and Richards too had their pound of flesh in picking up wickets, bowling laudably. Only Javed Miandad had the technical equipment to play confidently and show forceful strokes. Pakistan failed in the second innings as well and lost the match by 156 runs.

The third Test at the National Stadium, Karachi, ended without a decision but on a drying pitch Pakistan opting to bat first had a shock. The first two wickets of Sadiq Mohammad and Shafiq Ahmed (now a selector) fell without any score on the board. Even later six ducks were recorded in Pakistan's first venture. The quick-footed Miandad tried hard to steady the innings which ended at 128 - a meagre total. The wicket was troublesome and the West Indies in turn also fumbled against the authentic pace of Imran and the medium-to-slow bowling of Iqbal Qasim. The visitors took lead of only 41 runs. The slow, defensive batting by Pakistan took the match to its inevitable draw. The stalemated fourth Test at Multan, a new venue, gave the series to the West Indies by 1-0.

Richards hit a stylish and pleasing unbeaten century, which thrilled the hearts of the onlookers. Pakistan collapsed again to the Caribbean speed merchants but since a followon had been saved the match too was saved. The West Indies were in plenty of worry against the spin attack of Pakistan consisting of Nazir and Iqbal Qasim. The visitors were 116 for 5 when the match came to its close. Imran showed his class as a fast bowler and bagged five wickets for 62 in West Indies first knock.

On their tour of Australia in which Miandad was persevered with as a captain Pakistan lost the series by 2-1. Lillee excelled as a fast bowler in the first two Tests with his pace and bounce from the pitch terrific. His direction was splendidly controlled, though, off and on, he varied the line to give surprise to the batsmen. Pakistan stumbled for their lowest total-62- in Test history at Perth and could not have avoided defeat by the big margin of 286 runs. Lillee took six wickets in the match.

However, the first Test was more known for the Lillee-Miandad row, in which the behaviour of the Australian pacer was condemnable and his board not only suspended him for two one-day games but got an apology from him, apart from imposing a fine on him of 200 dollars. The second Test at Brisbane was comfortably won by Australia by 10 wickets. Lillee, nine wickets for 132 runs, with fiery and challenging intent, shattered Pakistan to take Australia to the shores of victory.Captain Greg Chappell made a dazzling double hundred (201), his strokes were made in a composed yet commanding way. His score certainly helped Australia in taking their total to 512 for nine declared. Apart from Imran none of the Pakistan bowlers was impressive. He had four scalps for 92 runs.

In the third Test at Melbourne the spectators were afforded an apportunity to feast themselves on the type of fascinating cricket for which the game is famous. The tide changed and Pakistan had an authoritative triumph by an innings and 82 runs. The senior batsmen viz. Majid Khan, Miandad, and Wasim Raja played admirable cricket; two others Mudassar and Zaheer missed hundreds by a whisker. Imran too was magnificent in batting. The Australians could not approach Pakistan's total of 500 for 8 and lost the match by an innings and 87 runs. Imran and Sarfraz picked up five wickets apiece and Qasim seven. Sri Lanka, having being elevated to the Test status, paid a visit to this country, losing the series 2-0, though displaying batting depth, if not penetration in bowling.

Salim Malik made his debut and scored his century on his maiden appearance in the first Test at Karachi. Haroon Rashid also hit a breezy century (153). The Lankans were beaten in the first and the third Tests in Karachi and Lahore respectively. In Lahore Mohsin Hasan Khan and Zaheer scored centuries, both adventurous and belligerent, forcing away the deliveries to the delight of the Qadhafi Stadium crowds.

After the Lankan engagements abut 40 Test series were played from August 1982 to August, 1997. But that is another story which space constraints do not permit me to dilate upon.

Source:: Dawn (https://dawn.com/)