How to kill Test cricket? - here's the way!
By A. C. De Silva
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Ravi Shastri made fine knock of 139 for India to make 500 in
their first innings.
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Cricket they say is a game of charming unpredictability and it has
been so in most parts of the world. But it has been not quite so at
Faisalabad where the Second Test between India and Pakistan from October
24, 25, 26, 28 and 29 in 1984, where the game ended in a draw.
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Mudassar Nazar made a superb knock and though he was
unfortunate to miss out on his double century, being out for
199 he and Omar put on 250 runs for the second wicket to
push Pakistan up towards victory. |
S.M. Patil hit up 127 runs to enable India to make up 500 in
their first innings against Pakistan.
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Qasim Omar made the top score of 210 and shared that top
second wicket partnership of 250 runs for the second wicket
with Mudassar Nazar for Pakistan.
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Events took the normal course of time from the first day when Indian
captain Sunil Gavaskar beat Zaheer Abbas on the toss, everything seemed
predictable. The weather, the wicket and the outcome.
Though some bets may have been lost about the winning team, there was
no hesitation in many peoples mind about the course the Test was going
to take. Faisalabad in the old days was a dusty little industrial town
in Punbjab lacking many facilities that a genuine Test centre should
have. Perhaps very much like Nagpur or Jalaldhar. The only thing
Faisalabad can boost of was the ground, which was better than some other
grounds.
There didn't seem those days much about the preparation of the
wickets. People responsible for creating the lifeless wickets, the
officials always try and play it safe. Losing or winning a Test means
losing or keeping their chair. That is exactly what has happened at
Faisalabad since 1978.
One thought that the inclusion of the right-arm leg-spinner Abdul
Qadir in the Pakistan team would do wonders, but it didn't happen that
way. Though he managed to get Gavaskar and Vengsarkar cheaply, he didn't
get the bounce and turn on a wicket which certainly was a dream for the
batsmen. India mustered 500, runs batting more than two days. Out of
form Sandeep Patil and Ravi Shastri's centuries and their record 200-run
stand were the highlights of the innings.
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Mohsin Khan of Pakistan made 59 and he and Mudassar Nazar
made a fine start to the Pakistan putting on 141 for the
first wicket.
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Salim Malik made 102 not out was the third centurion of the
side and they helped in no small measure to put Pakistan to
the majestic score of 674 for 6 wickets at close of play.
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Abdul Qadir was among the wickets and took 4 for 104 runs in
the Indian first innings total of 500 all out.
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When India made 216 for 4 wickets on the first day, the tempo was set
for the match. The Test dragged on and on and runs came in 'tons'.
Patil was the first to go on the second day after scoring 127 which
included 18 fours. Shastri reached his hundred as well by the time tea
was taken. Azeem Hafiz accounted for Kapil Dev, Madan Lal and Kirmani
after tea and Shastri fell to Qadir for 139. A declaration seemed
immense, but India contributed on the third day to finish with a mammoth
total of 500, its highest in Pakistan. The innings finished in the sixth
over, but not before Qadir had taken his hundredth Test wicket.
Painful pattern follows
The painful pattern followed when Pakistan began their reply. The
first wicket stand between Mohsin Khan (59) and Mudassar Nazar produced
141 runs before Mohsin was out for 59 to India's Chetan Sharma.
New ball, a bowler mattered nothing much and the Pakistan batsmen
went on piling up the runs.Qasim Omar (210) and Mudassar Nazar (199) set
a new second wicket record of 250 against India before Mudassar Nazar
was out one short of his double century.
That was after tea on the fourth day. His innings included 24 fours.
Pads on for two days, Mudassar played a few delightful strokes before
leaving the wicket.
Short of Kapil Dev because of a turn back muscle and Ravi Shastri
with stitches on his right-arm (after barging into a babed wire fence
while chasing to save a four), India toiled all day on the fifth day
chasing the ball.
Omar who has completed his second Test century went on to score a
double century. Salim Malik, coming in place of Zaheer Abbas who was
beautifully caught at the wicket, batted with authority and precision to
maul the weakened attack.
The Test somewhat aimlessly dragged on to a listless draw.
SCOREBOARD
INDIA – 1ST INNINGS
S.M. Gavaskar c Omar b Qadir 35
A.D. Galkwad c and b Elahi 74
D.B. Vengasarkar c Mohsin Khan b Qadir 05
Amarnath hit wkt b Hafiz 37
S.M. Patil c Zaheer Abbas b Mudassar Nazar 127
R.J. Shastri c Ashraf Ali b Qadir 139
Kapil Dev c Alahi b Hafix 16
S. Madan Lal c Ashraf Ali b Hafiz 00
S.M.H. Kirmani c (sub) Shoaib b Hafiz 06
N.S. Yadav c Malik b Qadir 29
Chetan Sharma not out 18
Extras (b-1, lb-6, nb-7) 14
Total 500
Fall of wickets: 1-88, 2-100, 3-148, 4-170, 5-370
6-412, 7-420, 8-441, 9-161
Bowling: Jalaluddin 34-5-103-0
Hafiz 44-9-137-4
Elahi 21-3-74-1
Mudassar Nazar 25-5-74-1
Abdul Qadir 38-8-104-4
Salim Malik 1-0-1-0
PAKISTAN – 1ST INNING
Moshin Khan c Gavaskar b Sharma 59
Mudassar Nazar c Kirmani b Yadav 199
Qassim Omar c Yadav b Gaekwad 210
Javed Miandad st. Kirmani b Shastri 16
Zaheer Abbas c Kirmani b MadanLall 26
Salim Mallik not out 102
Manzoor Alahi run out 26
Ashraf Ali not out 09
Extras (b-7, lb-6, w-1, nb-13) 27
Total (for 6 wkts) 674
Fall of wickets: 1-14, 2-39, 3-430, 4-494, 5-608, 6-650
Bowling: Kapil Dev 5-0-22-0
Chetan Sharma 32-0-139-1
Madan Lal 27-2-94-1
Shirlal Yadav 75-18-196-1
Ravi Shastri 50-17-99-1
A. Galkwad 27-5-75-1
Mohinder Amarnath 8.5-0-36-0 |
