MOHALI, 13 March 2005 — The game of charming unpredictability lived up to its reputation as Pakistan gaping certain defeat in the face fought hard on the final day to earn a respectable draw in the first Test against India.
No one, not even they themselves could have dared to back their remaining four wickets to survive the pressure for almost all through the day to dash India’s hopes of going up in the three-match Test series before the second Test starting from March 16 at Calcutta.
Surely when the umpires called it a day with India set an indomitable 293 to get in only 25 overs and having fun in the middle waiting for the umpires to give the nod, the Pakistan captain Inzamam ul-Haq and the rest of his team members must have heaved a sigh of relief. They easily could have been lost for words to thank the stars of the day Kamran Akmal and Abdul Razzaq who put on a record 184 for the seventh wicket against India to steer Pakistan to a position from where they could not falter.
Kamran, the diminutive wicketkeeper, showing immeasurable maturity batted like a champion to carve his maiden Test hundred playing in his eleventh Test. His partner Abdul Razzaq in an unusual role of playing second fiddle to the youngster hit 71 and by the time the two were separated before tea, Pakistan had reached safety — leading by 255 runs on the second innings.
Resuming on the final day at 257 for 6 and leading by only 53 runs Pakistan were on a wing and a prayer and almost on the verge of an embarrassing defeat. But by lunch the two, Razzaq and Akmal who had started the day at 22 and 9 respectively, had settled down well in their groove to be together with 44 and 75. Akmal had reached his fifty with eight fours in only 62 deliveries.
After lunch Razzaq too got to his half-century and frustration then started to show on the Indian captain’s face and on the rest of the team. The only blemish in their record seventh wicket stand of 184 was when Razzaq lobbed one off spinner Anil Kumble to long on and Saurav Ganguly failed to hold on to the catch. Razzaq was 50 then and the two batsmen were already past the 154 runs previous record-stand for this wicket between Imran Khan and Ijaz Faqih in Madras in 1986-87 series.
Akram drove and cut with flourish of an experienced campaigner to reach his first Test century. On 99 he drove gloriously a Kumble delivery past extra cover to get to the coveted three-figure mark having batted for 214 minutes to hit 15 fours in 140 balls.
He was out as he drove Balaji to the covers to be caught by substitute Harbhajan Singh when on 109. It was magnificent effort.
Nine runs later Razzaq too was caught at slip by Rahul Dravid juggling the catch as he cut Kumble when on 71. He hit four fours and a six having stayed at the crease for 346 minutes.
The match was all but over after Mohammad Sami was caught and bowled off Kumble for 10. This being Kumble’s 450th wicket, thus joining the elite like Shane Warne, Muttiah Muralitharan, Courtney Walsh and Glenn McGrath who have taken 450 and over wickets in Tests.
Rana Naveed ul-Hasan knowing fully well that the game was all but over drove and hooked Zaheer Khan for three fours in one over and later in the next over punished Kumble too for a four and a six. Inzamam then did not take long to declare at 496 for 9, Pakistan’s highest in India in Test.
India lost Sehwag at 85 in 17 overs possible and it was time take the bails off.
The man of the match deservedly was Kamran Akmal, the hero of the day who was presented with a motorbike and 35,000 rupees. Good enough for him to take a three hours drive to Lahore across the border.
