RAWALPINDI, 17 April 2004 — The “Golden Jubilee” Test between India and Pakistan proved memorable for India as their whopping innings and 131 runs victory inside four days created history. This was India’s first series win over Pakistan in 50 years.
Dominating Pakistan in all departments in the first and final Tests of the three-match series, India clinched the Test series 2-1, following their 3-2 One-Day Series victory, to turn the “Dil Jeeto Series” into a “Full Jeeto Series”. It was also the first series triumph overseas for India in 11 years. The last time they had won a series outside India was their 1-0 win over Sri Lanka in 1993. They were then led by Muhammad Azharuddin.
Apart from the winners’ trophy and the bonus that came along with it, India walked away with all the three awards at stake in this Test and the series.
Rahul Dravid, as expected, was picked the man-of-the match for his tremendous knock of 270, while Virender Sehwag was named the man-of-the series for his fine efforts in the first two Tests. A special “Golden Ball” award was given to Anil Kumble for his tally of 15 wickets for 389 runs in the series.
With the exception of Asim Kamal — who batted with a bruised elbow and in discomfort to remain unbeaten on 60 when the curtain fell on the series — no other batsmen showed the durability needed to pull the Pakistan chestnuts out of the fire. With the weight of overhauling India’s 376-run lead, Pakistan, starting at 49 for two on the fourth day at the Rawalpindi Cricket Ground, were in a charitable mood in the morning as they contributed heavily to the “Slips Benevolent Fund’.
India did not accept this charity and were lucky that these lapses did not prove costly. Six catches were put down in the cordon of slips and point, three of them in the first seven overs, as Laxmipathy Balaji and Irfan Pathan exploited the overcast conditions superbly.
Generating fine pace and holding a varying line, both produced ponderous movement off the seam. The batsmen, needing to apply themselves, found the going heavy and tried to blast their way out of trouble leading to these snicks and nicks. Nightwatchman Kamran Akmal (10) and Yasir Hameed (8) needed to see off this crucial hour in the morning to ease Pakistan into the comfort zone, from where a rearguard action could have been contemplated. But there was to be no fightback.
Balaji, a crowd delight here, hushed the roar of the crowd with a delivery that put the skids on Pakistan.
In his third over of the day, Balaji broke through the gates of Akmal with a seaming in-cutter that sent the off-stumps cart wheeling.
In the very next over he nearly snapped up Hameed, who had not added a run to his overnight tally. A flashing drive off an off-cutter from Balaji was floored by Sachin Tendulkar at point. Then Balaji watched in dismay as Dravid failed to latch on to a sharp chance from Pakistan captain Inzamam ul-Haq in first slip. Inzamam was then on eight.
Hameed again escaped with a life on 15 when Kumble flubbed a hot chance at gully off Irfan as Pakistan’s innings stuttered. But he did not last long as Ashish Nehra brought on for just one over broke through. Hameed trying to glide an angled delivery on the middle and leg, managed to snick it and Parthiv Patel brought off a brilliant on side catch.
Diving full length, Patel was in a near horizontal position and managed to pick up the catch with his outstretched left hand just inches from the ground to leave Pakistan at 90 for four. And when Inzamam was snapped up just four runs later Pakistan were tottering at a dismal 94 for five.
Inzamam played with his foot rooted to a Balaji delivery that shaped away and Patel accepted the gift gleefully. He had made nine. Just a ball earlier Balaji had seen new batsman Yousuf Youhanna get a new lease of life with Yuvraj failing to accept a difficult chance at point. And Youhanna, then on two, went on to make 48. Youhanna and Kamal made 81 runs in 80 minutes. But they were just delaying the inevitable. This became evident in the way the later batsmen batted, as if in an ODI, and the total was sprinkled with a fair share of boundaries and sixes.
Once Kumble got rid of Youhanna, already in a predetermined position to a leg spin of fuller length, with a caught and bowled effort, the end was near. Kamal kept the score ticking with a gutsy performance from his end, but wickets tumbled at the other. First Muhammad Sami was caught by Dravid off Kumble to put him on a hat trick. Kumble had dismissed Youhanna with the last ball of his previous over and Sami with the first of his next.
But Shoaib Akhtar, who was reported to have a ruptured back, swung at a straighter delivery and thwarted Kumble. Shoaib kept on swinging as he blasted 28 runs off 14 balls that contained two sixes and four fours.
One of the sixes he hoisted off Kumble cleared the ground and was lodged on the canopy of the stand behind mid wicket, stopping play for ten minutes. But his innings was not to last long. Kumble had a semblance of revenge when Shoaib perished while trying to go for another big hit. The ball carried straight to Nehra, who pouched it.
Kumble then accounted for Fazle Akbar, who spooned a catch to Irfan at short third man, while trying to go for a lusty blow. Kumble by then had picked up four wickets.
The haul lifted Kumble to 396 wickets in his career, and put him on the threshold of joining the exclusive spinners club with 400 to their name. The other two — Shane Warne of Australia and Muttiah Muralitharan — are in a battle to see who will be the first past the 500 post. When last man Danish Kaneria was picked up by Tendulkar in the last ball of the only over he bowled, the Indian celebrations began. Fittingly it was Ganguly held on to the catch at slips to dismiss Kaneria.
While the Indians jubilated, Pakistan were already in the process of searching for answers to the question of what went wrong. And like in every disaster that has some victims and debris, there is every likelihood that even this will have its share.
Shoaib Blamed for Team Defeat
Meanwhile, Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar could find himself in trouble if the post-match captain and coach’s report is adverse. After failing to take the field in the Indian first innings here on Thursday with a reported ruptured back and rib cage strain, his 14-ball cameo in which he swiped and swung for 28 runs surprised all.
Captain Inzamam ul-Haq, in a post-match press conference, first stressed that there was no differences with the bowler when questioned about a reported altercation with Shoaib on Thursday in the team’s dressing room.
“But I was definitely surprised at the way he batted today,” Inzamam said. “There’s every possibility that the Pakistan Cricket Board could take action against him,” he added.
Shoaib was also in a spot for his lack of application during this pressure match. He was reportedly more interested in getting an Indian visa for an advertising shoot then concentrating on this match.
The offer is said to be from TVS.
When asked about this, Inzamam said it was up to the board to decide.
Inzamam, while congratulating the Indians on their series win, credited their team effort for their success, while adding, “Injuries during the series caused lots of problems for us. There were too many bowling changes made in the team, and I had no choice but to play some bowlers who were not hundred percent fit.” When asked why Iftikhar Rao was not picked for this crucial Test, he replied that we went with experience.“We felt that to expose the inexperienced Iftikhar to this pressure situation would not be right. That’s why we chose Fazle Akbar, who had some Tests under his belt.” When pressed for a reason for this stunning loss, Inzamam said: “Despite big names in our attack, they did not bowl well. And along with this we also batted poorly.” The first casualty of this tour, which is likely to bring about major changes in the PCB as well as the structure of the game, was the team physio Tauseef Razzaq, who announced his resignation yesterday before the start of play citing differences with the coach and captain.
