Aussies get a whitewash

A.C. De Silva

CRICKET: Pakistan completed an incredible series in October 1982 against Australia making a clean sweep of the three Tests, creating history in the contests against the two countries. Pakistan won by nine wickets at Karachi, by an innings and three runs at Faisalabad and by nine wickets here at Lahore.

This was the first time that Pakistan was able to win a three Test series 3-nil and Imran Khan and his team-mates came in for high praise.

Before this occasion Australia had all Tests in a "rubber" only twice before, in 1881 against England in England and in 1970 against South Africa in South Africa.

Pakistan had met a similar fate in 1972-73 series in Australia when it lost all the three Tests. Intikhab Alam was the captain of that team and it was poetic justice that Intikhab was the manager of the present side and had as much hand in moulding the side as Imran Khan, the new captain.

Statistically and otherwise Imran Khan was at the centre of everything as he has been since he took over the mantle from Javed Miandad. Imran Khan has so far led in only six Tests and has produced results in all of them, four wins and two defeats. In his series he has bowel his heart out even though the wickets were on the slower side.

However the man of the series was Abdul Qadir, the right-arm leg-spinner, who captured 22 wickets during the series for 562 runs at an average of 25.55. The most amazing feature of Qadir's bowling was that the Australians were completely deceived by his "googlies" despite playing six innings against him.

In Pakistan's batting, it was Moshin Hasan Khan who took charge of the Australian bowling. Moshin completed his third century, all within a space of eight months. He made 135 after 348 minutes play, hitting 17 boundaries. There was also Javed Miandad who went on to make 138. Zaheer Abbas made 52 and Imran Khan closed the innings at 467 for 7 wickets which gave them a lead of 151 runs.

Australia lost 3 wickets for 66 by the close of the fourth day and on the fifth day, Australia did well until lunch and collapsed spectacularly after Imran Khan took the new ball. Imran Khan bowled splendidly and captured the wickets of Ritchie, Yardley, Marsh and Alderman to end Australia's innings at 214, just when the mandatory overs were to begin.Pakistan had only 18 mandatory overs left to make 64 runs - this they did for the loss of Moshin Khan only.