MULTAN, 1 April 2004 — India’s Irfan Pathan and spinner Anil Kumble turned the first cricket Test match against Pakistan into a no-contest with some striking bowling that left Pakistan facing the prospect of being defeated by an innings.
India put themselves on the threshold of their first Test victory in Pakistan after five winless series, first by forcing the follow-on after wrapping up their rival’s first innings at 407 before lunch and then kept whittling away with their trademark line and length tactic to leave Pakistan gasping at 207 for nine, still needing 61 runs to make India to bat again.
Indian captain Rahul Dravid took the extra half hour add on in a bid to end the match inside four days, but Pakistan held on.
Amid the ruins stood Yousuf Yohanna with a batting century, but at 107, with Shabbir Ahmad keeping him company and a day’s play ahead of him, the chances of Pakistan dropping behind in the three-Test series is high.
The key difference at the Multan Cricket Stadium was the rival team’s approach.
India played with a purpose while Pakistan just buckled under the weight of the mammoth Indian target.
The wicket still played true, but the batsmen either played some rash strokes or did not offer strokes when needed to keep a steady procession to the pavilion, leaving India with a haul of 13 wickets in a day.
Pakistan also failed to take advantage of an Indian attack that did not have Zaheer Khan.
Zaheer will take no further part in the Test, ruled out by a muscle strain in his right leg. He will undergo a medical examination to find out the extent of the injury.
Zaheer limped off the field in Pakistan’s first innings after bowling just one over. It was later revealed that Zaheer will not play in the second Test.
But with Irfan bowling with fire and Kumble turning on the guile, the day’s outcome was not surprising. Dravid once again showed boldness and innovation in ringing the changes, while giving them an attacking field throughout the day.
Sachin Tendulkar in the morning and Yuvraj later in the day got the vital breakthroughs, killing Pakistan’s zest for a fight.
The tone of the day came in the very first ball when Irfan steamed in and let fly a snorter.
Abdul Razzaq, overnight at 47, was caught on the backfoot and managed only to fend off the bouncer from his face. The resultant tickle was taken by Parthiv Patel.
Then in the very next over he dismissed Saqlain Mushtaq, who had a rush of blood in trying to hook another bouncer.
The ball ballooned to midwicket when Zaheer made a superb catch.
And in Tendulkar’s second over, new batsman Shoaib Akhtar spooned a return catch, putting Pakistan in trouble at 371 for nine.
Though Muhammd Sami and Shabbir delayed the inevitable with some stout defending, Kumble produced one that turned sharply to breach Sami’s defense and took the stumps off. Irfan had 4 for 100, while Kumble had 2 for 100.
Following on, Pakistan fared no better.
And their tactics of countering Kumble was all the more bewildering.
Most of them fell while not offering a stroke or being late at attempting one, giving Kumble figures of six for 71 in which four were lbw decisions.
Openers Imran Farhat and Taufeeq Umer never looked confident against Kumble and Imran fell to a wild slash at Kumble.
He was shaping up well before this loose stroke saw him give a catch to Parthiv Patel for just 24.
And when Taufeeq failed to meet a Kumble delivery that bent back a little, he was left plumb before the wicket with the total at 44 for two.
But real disaster struck Pakistan when their captain Inzamam-ul Haq was run out by a direct Yuvraj throw from midwicket after facing just one ball.
Yasir Hameed’s push to that region had a run, but Inzamam’s canter to the crease failed to beat the superb pick-and-throw of Yuvraj.
From then on it was touch and go and in some case no touch and go.
Yasir started the procession with a rank bad shot, needlessly sweeping Yuvraj against the turn, and Sehwag stationed specially at the short fine leg spot held on.
As Yohanna played some glorious strokes from one end, wickets fell at the other.
Abdul Razzaq, in attempting to flick Kumble, found the ball stick to Aakash Chopra’s hand at forward short leg and then Moin was trapped leg before by Irfan as the ball struck the pad before taking an edge of the bat. A dejected Moin gave umpire Simon Taufel a lingering look before walking out.
Following him was first Muhammad Sami and then Saqlain Mushtaq, before a brief flash of resistance by Yohanna and Shoaib Akhtar. Their 70-run association added respectability to the total, while also allowed Yohanna to reach his ton.
His knock contained 14 fours and two sixes and amid the circumstances was a superb one. Shoaib was Kumble’s sixth victim for the day, luring him into a stroke on the off and Laxman at silly mid-off brought off a great catch.
