Asian Test Championship

Preview


The Garden Massacre and Reemerging Controversies


We return to the site on which Salim Malik blasted Kapil Dev for 5 fours in an over to all parts of the Eden Gardens, Calcutta. He came in at a stage where the cause all but seemed lost. Too many runs, few overs and not many wickets to spare. He threw all caution to wind and decided to improvise and dictate. He picked his spots and hit them with pin point accuracy. When Kapil brought his third man up to save the boundary at square leg where Malik had sent the ball before, he stepped away from his stumps and square drove him. Maninder saw him launch one over cover and the very next one over square leg. Forty odd balls after he walked in, Malik had got seventy odd runs and a victory. One of the most valiant and gallant fight backs in a one day game. He will always be remembered for that. He will also be remembered for the match throwing and betting allegations that have followed him. Malik returns to the scene of one of his most famous triumphs. This time even before the game has begun, his back is to the wall and the allegations surface yet again. It is reported that the Outlook magazine will publish the testimonies of the Pakistanis (in court) in the next issue. The testimonies were secret and so it is very surprising that they have been leaked. It could be a ploy to mess with Pakistani players’ minds as the Australians do on their home tours. Malik might not even play this game as he is bothered by a hamstring injury. But boy if he does, this will be the best stage for him to bury his demons once and for all. He might get a chance to plant the flag on the crest once again to signal that the disgraced lion is still lionhearted.


Many questions remained unanswered after the Delhi test. Which is the better team? I agree with Sanjay Manjrekar that even numbered tests in a series are ridiculous. Although all of the tests in a series seldom are decisive but still that consideration should be kept in mind. The Indians are trying to portray that this test is not the decider for the series but the start of a completely new one. Technically, they are correct. The Pakistanis are saying that this is the decider. They are trying to motivate their players. In any case, it will be an exciting and much anticipated match. The first test of the three nation (SriLanka) Asian Test Championship has neutral umpires at both ends so there will be no accusation of bias. Apparently, after the disaster in the World Cup the wicket at Eden Gardens has been worked on. It is claimed to be hard and grassy though the grass has been shaved off a great deal. The very presence of grass, however, will probably not let it break or crumble. Wickets like these normally result in high scoring games in Pakistan and India. The toss will again have a considerable effect on the game. The team winning the toss will bat first in all probability. The early dew and firmness will provide a good chance for the seamers to break through. The team batting second in both the tests so far has squandered an excellent chance of getting the first innings lead and putting the other team under pressure. It will be interesting to see if that happens a third time.


Wasim Akram has said that he will not make many changes to the squad from the last test. Considering the recent performance of Mushtaq in the three day game before the test, he might be dropped. He did not make an impression in the side game while Saqlain and Nadeem got wickets. If he is dropped, he will be replaced by Shoaib Akhter. Shoaib is a genuine quick bowler who might be able to utilize the firmness of the track. For those of us who watched him demolish South Africa in SA in a burst of lightning expect a lot from him. Waqar has not been his usual self so far but I don’t think Wasim will risk dropping him. It might be beneficial for the Pakistan batting to drop Waqar and play Azhar but since Azhar did not perform well in the last three day game, he will probably not find a place in the side. If Malik is not fit then Wasti will get his place as Wasti scored an 88 in the second innings of the side game. Wasti might be pushed up the order with Saeed and Afridi pushed back to the middle order. In my opinion, that would be a good move but one other alternative might be to drop Ijaz and send Wasti at number 3 which is where he played in the three day game. In any case, just one or maybe two changes are expected in the Pakistan team. Wasim can exploit any wicket and Waqar will find a hard surface to his liking. Kumble and Saqlain have been amazing on turfs that have responded to spin. If this wicket remains hard and doesn’t spin much as claimed then I will have to give the edge to Saqlain because of his variety. The batsmen will find the ball coming on to their blades a bit more and all the stroke players on both sides should like that. The Indians have found a good opening pair whom they should persist with. They might field an unchanged side barring injury.


This three nation tournament is being played with certain rules so that a winner can be decided despite drawn games. Rediff reports, "The three teams -- India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka -- in the inaugural Asian Test Championship, starting in Calcutta next Tuesday, will net a maximum of 20 points from each of their two league matches, of which 12 will be for a win and the rest as bonuses. There will be no points for a draw, but bonus points will be added. If the final Test is drawn, the team with a better scorecard of bonus points will be declared the champion. According to the format drawn up by a committee comprising Sunil Gavaskar (India), Majid Khan (Pakistan) and Ranjit Fernando (Sri Lanka), four batting points will be allotted for 350 or more runs in the first innings, three points for 300, two for 225, and one for 150, provided these targets are achieved in 100 overs. Similarly, the team claiming nine to ten wickets, seven to eight wickets, five to six wickets and three to four wickets in the first 100 overs of the first innings will be richer by four, three, two and one point respectively. The two teams with the better points tally will clash in the final at Dhaka from March 12 to 16. "


The teams will probably play these games as any other and only worry about the points when they have the upper hand. If the game comes to a boring stage these rules will make it interesting . It seems to be a good idea to have these type of series. Only time will tell if they are successful or not. For the time being, let the games begin.




Day 1


Isn't this fun? A 95,000 crowd for a test! Not only is it beneficial for the
teams to play each other more, it will create more revenue. When I was
growing up, I remember a test match would normally result in the ball
dominating the bat in the morning. The openers were always cautious and
tentative. Having a lot of slips was the norm to start even if your opening
fast bowler was of Sarfraz or Prabhabakar pace! With the advent of the field
restrictions in the one-day games, the openers have become more adventurous
and have no respect for the new ball. The habit is hard to lose and the
openers are aggressive in test matches too. Not this one. An old fashioned
test match is brewing in Calcutta. The morning dew and firmness of the
wicket helped the fast bowlers. Srinath has come a long way from his humble
beginnings as a fast bowler. He is accurate, nippy and uncomfortable to play
against. On a wicket that helps he can become lethal. He dismantled a long
batting line-up on the same track against Australia. He did it once again
against the Pakistanis. Just goes to show that grassy tracks in Pakistan or
India might not be that bad for the home team. In the eighties Pakistan had
a keeper by the name of Salim Yousuf. He was the catalyst of the team.
Egging them on when things were not rosy. Always fighting hard with grit and
determination. He was not technically the best keeper but he was all heart.
Our current keeper Moin Khan is all heart too. He is the current motivater
and fighter of the team. He withstood the Srinath barrage. To build a bridge
one has to first stop the flow. Moin stopped the flow. The bridge however
was not built.


On a wicket with a hint of grass, Pakistan won the toss and batted. Mark
Taylor did the same and paid the price. The key was to survive the early
help that the pace bowlers would inevitably get. The Australians did not.
Would history repeat itself? Let's discuss the team selections first. The
Indians were unchanged. The Pakistanis made three changes. Two out of
necessity and one that is surprising. Inzi and Mushy are injured. Wasti,
after a good knock in the side game, replaced Inzi and Azhar Mehmood got
Mushy's place. Waqar was dropped and Shoaib Akhter played in his place.
Imran's philosophy though still holds true. If the wicket helps the bowlers
the 6th batsman will not matter and if the wicket helps the batting then the
5 specialist batsman should do their job. Pakistan had an extended batting
lineup with Moin and Akram at 8 and 9. Long batting line up translates into
lots of runs, right? Wrong. I would have played both Waqar and Shoaib. Azhar
is an accurate bowler though and can bowl long spells so he will probably be
used as the stock bowler if he keeps the batsmen quiet.


Anwar and Afridi started off in their usual fashion. A little circumspect
but throwing their bats outside the off. It was soon very apparent that the
ball was seaming and getting lift from the wicket. On one end their is a
crack that makes it uneven at times too. Prasad had a couple stay low from
that end. The story of the morning though was Srinath. He did not waste the
help that he was getting from the wicket. He made the batsmen play almost
every ball. Afridi fished outside the off to Srinath without any foot
movement as he normally does. This time he got the edge. Saeed got a beauty
from Prasad which he tentatively pushed forward to, leaving a gap between
bat and pad. Srinath beat Ijaz a couple of times outside off and then
brought one back from the same spot. It was soon 19/3 and the rot was on.
Younger Pakistani players are always suspect to good seam bowlers as they
never face them till they reach the international level. Youhana and Wasti
are no exception. Both got edges to balls outside the off and the innings
was in tatters at 25/5. Srinath shattered Azhar's stumps with a blistering
yorker and the extra batsman in the lineup was back in the pavilion with the
score still at 25.


Then Malik and Moin got together. By this time Prasad and Srinath were
tired. The Indians needed another pacer to keep the tempo up. They did not
have one. Azharuddin brought Ganguly on. Even he troubled the batsman on
this wicket. Had Pakistan been bowling and achieved similar success they
would have had to bring Azhar Mehmood on. Wouldn't it have been nice to
bring either Shoaib or Waqar on at this stage? Malik and Moin were uneasy
but resolute. They took a lot of time to get off the mark but they played
watchfully to save their wickets. Both of them took Pakistan to lunch and
beyond. They were stubborn. Nothing extraordinary in what they did. Just
plain and simple application at the wicket. The top order can learn from
that but then Pakistanis have said most of their cricket lives. History
suggests that the wicket eases out once the morning dew has dried. The
batting did become a little easier but their was still help for the seamers.
Pakistan were 109/6 at tea and the rot was stemmed. India however had
gathered the momentum and utilized the chance they were given, with the
initial help to the seamers, to the maximum. Malik left soon after tea to
another great ball outside off from Srinath. His innings was not flashy like
when he was younger but he looked determined to stay at the wicket. His 32
runs did save Pakistan from complete embarrassment. On a wicket that is not
yet turning Kumble was easy to play. He got hit around by Wasim and Moin at
every opportunity they were presented and the scoring rate increased
considerably. Just when things looked better for Pakistan with a 63 run
stand between Wasim and Moin, Tendulkar was brought on. As it often happens,
a non regular bowler enticed a lazy shot from the set player and a dismissal
occurred. Moin played Tendulkar to slip and his gritty knock of 70 came to
an end. Tendulkar has made a habit of breaking partnerships though. Moin's
innings was all the more commendable considering the pressure he was under
when he walked in. I don't know why Saqlain, who has a record stand with
Wasim in tests, was not sent in before Shoaib but that made Wasim edgy very
soon. He went for big hits to get out caught in the deep off Harbhajan. The
innings soon ended at 185. First blood to India. However, it remained to be
seen whether the wicket was still helping the seamers or had it eased out.
Wasim got a lot of bounce from the wicket. The openers were troubled
throughout the remaining minutes. Finally, Shoaib got a yorker through
Laxman to rearrange his middle stump. Kumble survived the four balls he
faced and the day ended with India at 26/1.


Night watchmen in India-Pakistan games have given good performances. Bari
and Kirmani come to mind. So, Kumble will be key in the morning. If Pakistan
can get a couple of wickets early then the game will get interesting. The
situation is quite similar to the one in the first test at Chennai. The
pressure will be on India to get a first innings lead. They have a chance to
give Pakistan the two worst times to bat on this wicket : the first morning
and the last two days. If India can get a lead of well over a hundred then
Pakistan will always be on the defensive trying to save this game. A lot
rests on the shoulder of Akram once again to guide his side back into the
game. Saqlain will probably need a long spell on this wicket to get wickets.
They will not come in bunches for him at least in the first innings. The
seamers however can get them in bunches. Shoaib's genuine pace can get him
wickets or maybe the accuracy and movement off the seam for Azhar. Shoaib
has a tendency to spray the ball when the wicket is helpful but his
in-swinging yorker can some times catch the batsman by surprise. It is time
for the youngsters to make their mark. Will it be Ramesh for India or Shoaib
for Pakistan?


Day 2


Both the youngsters made their mark. Ramesh dominated the first half of the
day and Shoaib the latter. Ramesh's start in test cricket can't help but
remind us of Azharuddin's arrival on the scene with three consecutive
hundreds. Since then Azhar has had to live with the enormous expectations of
spectators. He will tell you that is not an easy task. Ramesh batted with
calm and poise, authority and grit, courage and improvisation. His asset is
his technique and positive attitude. Shoaib is different. His assets are
unpredictability and sheer power. Some years ago, I played a game against
Rawalpindi. Being an opener, I was made aware of the pace of Rawalpindi's
opening bowler Shoaib Akhter. I told my colleagues that I had negotiated
Waqar at his peak and considered that the ultimate test. I was reminded that
being away from cricket in the US and coming back occasionally to play this
kind of pace is not advisable. My reply was the usual American, "Whatever!".
When I took my guard I noticed that the keeper was as far back as I am when
at my bowling run up! That perturbed me a bit. After the first ball flew
outside the off stump, chest high, to the keeper I was completely alert and
vigilant. Shoaib sprayed the ball a bit but once in a while he would bowl a
strike. I had been forewarned of the in-swinging yorker and after the first
few I kept that in mind. An accurate yorker at blistering pace with late
swing is almost impossible to play. Waqar has taught us that. It is even
more dangerous when it is least expected after a few wayward ones. The
Indians learnt that lesson today the hard way.


The day began with India in the driver's seat. Ramesh carried on with his
usual aplomb and Kumble survived. The key to bowling on a responsive wicket
is to bowl accurately and make the batsman play as much as possible. The
Pakistani bowlers tried too much in the opening session. They bowled too
short or too wide. Overstepping was common. The result was that the two
batsmen settled in and survived the tough part of the day. Ramesh kept his
positive frame of mind and kept picking gaps whenever a loose ball was
bowled. Shoaib strayed to the on side visibly bothered by the left and right
combination and Ramesh clipped him off his legs gracefully. The score moved
along swiftly. Azhar Mehmood was brought in as first change. It would have
been nice to have Waqar at that stage but Azhar's job was defined
differently. He was to block one end. Stem the rate of flow of runs. He did
that. Along with that, he removed Kumble. But he had done his job of
surviving the early morning and getting some valuable runs in the process.
Dravid came in and settled down nicely after a couple of early problems. The
wicket seemed to be easing out with the Pakistanis helping the batsmen out
with their waywardness. Ramesh was moving along smoothly passed his third
consecutive half century. A very good start to his test career indeed. India
moved to lunch with 8 wickets in hand and 103 on the board.


The best part of the day for batting is the portion between lunch and tea.
Saqlain had been brought on as the wicket eased out a bit more and took over
from Azhar as the stock bowler who bottles one end up. Dravid negotiated him
well as the ball did not do anything spectacular off the wicket. Ramesh was
a wall on the other end. India progressed nicely to the drinks break with
145 on the board and both batsmen well set for a big partnership. Only 40
runs left to catch up to Pakistan with 8 wickets in hand and the wicket had
eased out. Things were perfect for India to amass a huge lead and win the
game. And then BANG! Shoaib comes on and bowls a delivery reminiscent of
Waqar. The in-swinging yorker that starts around or outside off, swings late
and comes into the blockhole. Dravid's leg stump was rattled. Shoaib did
exactly the same thing to South Africa for his five wicket haul there. He
does have great pace and once he is accurate he can be very tough to face.
Tendulkar walked in to a big cheer. The stage was all set for a big innings
from him. Shoaib has a beautiful run up to the wicket. Nice and easy as he
runs in with long strides. His hair bouncing around first and then pulling
back as he gathers speed. His throwing action is an amalgam of Lillee and
Thompson. A little bit of grace with the right arm coming up alongwith a
sling shot like release. The next ball started a little further outside off
but the swing and length were similar. Tendulkar's defense was penetrated
first up. This has never happened before. The middle stump rocked and with
it India's hopes of a big total. Two balls and the game had changed
completely. This is what wicket takers do, they change the complexion of the
game in a flash. Wasim Akram nipped one back into the visibly shaken Ramesh
and India were reduced to 164/5. Wow!


Azhar returned to a ground where he started his great strides in test
cricket. An average of well over a hundred on this test ground along with
Ganguly's Bengali backing suggested that the two will be well at ease in the
conditions. On the contrary, both were under tremendous pressure as the
Pakistanis started exerting themselves. Saqlain who had been bowling without
menace suddenly produced one that turned and got Ganguly to a diving Wasim
at slip. Azhar played a lazy shot to a loose Akram delivery to be caught at
cover. The game was at par. Srinath fell to a tumbling grab by Moin on the
leg side off Akram and 211/8 meant that India needed 14 to grab the second
batting point. India got 222. Shoaib got one more with his lethal yorker and
Saqlain got Mongia. A slender lead and yet again the team batting second
threw away a great opportunity to take the game. Shoaib had four wickets and
not surprisingly all were clean bowled. If he can work on his stamina and
develop a good line and length, he will be great. Wasim got his usual three
to add to his ever growing tally. Pakistan opened with Wasti and Anwar. A
pleasant surprise. Wasti was unlucky to be caught down the leg side off
Srinath to a great catch by Mongia. He did however look like an opener and
was playing well. Anwar got a life when Azhar dropped him at slip off
Srinath. The opener has been in search of a break to get some good runs for
Pakistan. This might have been it. Pakistan ended with 26/1 as Saqlain
played as the night watchman. Oh by the way, for the ones interested in the
Asian Test Championship points, the points are dead even at five.


The game hangs in the balance with a repeat of the first test match at
Chennai. Hopefully the ending will be just as dramatic. I will again
reiterate that Shahid should be sent in the middle order. The reasoning for
that is simple. You should highlight the strength of your batsman and hide
weaknesses. Shahid is weak against good seaming fast bowlers who bowl
accurately outside the off stump. His strengths are medium pacers and
spinners who do not turn a lot. In the middle order he will get what he
wants. Anything over 200 on this wicket will be tough to chase for India.
Can they do it? Of course they can. They have the talent. Tendulkar seldom
fails twice in a test. However, at this stage it is up to the big boys to
step up and take the heat. Ijaz and Malik need to redeem themselves. They
need to play long innings for Pakistan to be considered for the world cup
squad. Anwar has got the break he wanted and the stage is set for him to
return to form. Like I said before, all low scoring games between Pakistan
and India are nail biters. Here is another one for your pleasure. The game
is heating up. The "friendship series" is losing its intimacy despite the
hoopla of "bus diplomacy". The snarls are returning and frowns becoming
common. The going is getting tough and the tough need to get going.


Day 3


A test match is a battle of wills. Seldom does it become a battle of two
men's wills. Cricket is a team game and the collective will of one team
is pitted against the other team. Today it became a battle of two men's
wills. Srinath collected the spirit of the 80,000 odd present along with
his teammates and bowled for India with single mindedness. Saeed
conjured up the strength of all the Pakistanis who watched and listened
to the game and became Pakistan to battle for his country's honor. Lala
Amarnath would have said, "Both did a great job for their country". With
the signature emphasis on country as if he was eating the word. This was
an old fashioned battle of wits reminding one of the days of Imran and
Gavasker and of Kapil and Miandad. All energies focused on one goal and
one goal only. Get the upper hand for your team. Srinath relied on
movement off the seam and impeccable line. Saeed's drives burnt paths
through the grass of Eden Gardens as if he wanted to spell out Pakistan.
At the end of the day both of them could hold their heads up high and
shake each other's hands with a slight nod and the words, "Well played".


The day began with Pakistan at 26/1. Saqlain defended resolutely as
Saeed flashed at a couple outside his off stump early on. After a while
he settled down and by drinks Pakistan was 64/1 with both batsman very
steadily milking the bowling. The Indians had no menace or punch in
their bowling. Kumble was on soon and he too was pretty easy to
negotiate. Apart from sudden rushes of blood, Saeed by and large played
well within himself waiting for the bad ball to hit. Just before the
fifty partnership Saeed danced down the wicket to be deceived by Kumble
but Mongia missed the bottom edge. Saeed got to his fifty with a
straight six off Harbhajan as the spinners worked in tandem. Just when
things eased up, Harbhajan bowled one to Saqlain that popped up
apparently from his pad. Orchard gave him out and he went back
disconsolately. Saqlain with his determination had yet again done his
job. His 21 runs took 86 balls as he weathered the difficult portion of
the day, though today it did not look that tough to stay at the crease.
Saeed and Ijaz rotated the strike as the right hand left hand
combination made it tough for the spinners to settle down to one line.
Srinath came back for one over before lunch. He pitched the first one
short to be smashed to the leg side by Saeed. In the same over, Saeed
lashed at one wide of off for four. He was well set but the one-day
shots would creep into his play once in a while. Lunch was taken at
113/2.


Saeed carried on where he had left off before lunch. Runs started to
flow from his blade. The batsman at the other end was just an observer.
Ijaz will probably be dropped for the next test as he walked back soon
after edging one to Mongia off Srinath. Yousuf walked in and created a
shell around him that made him invisible. Saeed kept the runs ticking at
the other end. When Saeed reached his century, he had 2/3rd of
Pakistan's runs. This was his 8th century and probably his best in terms
of the conditions it was scored in. So far the highest individual score
by a member of either team had been 79 by Ramesh. No one has ever
questioned Saeed's talent. The knock on him has always been that he gets
set and then throws his wicket away. This time he did not. A slump does
that to you. When he raised that bat to the crowd, the slump was
officially over. Pakistan did not lose any more wickets till tea. They
had reached 203 with Saeed on 136. Azharuddin used non-regular bowlers
to break the partnership but nothing worked. After tea Yousuf opened up
and took charge of the spinners as Saeed steadily got to his 150.
Pakistan was very well placed to take this game completely out of
India's reach. Yousuf reached his 50 soon.


Then the new ball was taken. Srinath set the trap for Yousuf at square
leg with the intent to pitch short. Srinath bowled a bouncer and Yousuf
obliged with a hook down Rahul's throat. Yousuf's youth and inexperience
let him down, as he was looking very good. Remember I had said that
Afridi will be better off playing in the middle order. Well, he was sent
in the middle order this time. Don't you hate it when you have to eat
your words! Incidentally though Afridi faced the new ball and pace
bowlers, so it was as if he had opened. Srinath sent him a scorcher
first up, which he just fended at to be caught at second slip. Great
ball and Pakistan were back on their heels. Malik edged his first one to
Ganguly but it dropped just short of the slip fielder. Srinath was on
top. He got Malik (who might have played his last test on this tour) in
front and then Prasad got Moin with a halfhearted pull that was edged to
Mongia. Pakistan were 301/7! Azhar got a pair when he was trapped LBW by
Srinath. Wasim soon followed edging with an airy shot to Mongia off
Srinath. Saeed started blasting when Shoaib joined him. Two fours off
Srinath signaled his intentions but Shoaib did not last long. He got a
taste of his own medicine as Srinath yorked him. Saeed was stranded on
188. He carried the bat. Pakistan lost its last 7 wickets for 54 runs.
Srinath ended with 8/86. Great bowling on a wicket that provides help if
you are accurate. Saeed's innings was one of the best under pressure.
The catch that Azhar put down early will probably be mentioned again and
again if Pakistan win but even the great ones blink an eye once in a
while.


India were 4/0 chasing 279. Miandad got the Pakistan team together on
the field for a pep talk as bad light stopped play. This team is showing
signs of being better coached and motivated. Relentless effort will be
required tomorrow. The wicket will help the bowlers if they do not waste
their deliveries or give away extras. Pakistan's bowling, even though
lacking Waqar, is good. Azhar will probably again be utilized as a stock
bowler who would give respite to the flat out quickies. Now the thing
with these type of bowlers is that when they bowl accurately on
unpredictable tracks the batsmen get frustrated. I will not be surprised
if he gets wickets. Afridi might have to bowl more than the last innings
but Saqlain will get more help from the wicket. All eyes will be on
Shoaib to repeat what he did in the first innings. I think the man that
we have not mentioned so far will make the difference. Wasim will be the
key on a wicket that helps the seamers early. If anyone can make use of
the crack in the wicket, it is the Pakistan captain. Needless to say
that a good start is what India needs. Their batting has enough depth to
get these runs and Saeed showed that a long innings can be played on
this track. Tendulkar's back has been getting treatment during this game
and his fitness will be a factor. For India wickets can not come in
bunches if they are to win and long partnerships will be required.
Laxman, Dravid and Azhar have been relatively quiet in the series. They
need to step up. Wasim will attack but he can not let the run flow be
high as this wicket will produce an unplayable bowl sooner or later.
This match has been a repeat of the first test at Chennai as Pakistan
collapsed over there too after one man played a huge innings. Let's see
if the end is just as exciting.


Day 4


The end is just as interesting but we have not reached it yet. This test
is indicative of the fact that gradually the baton is being passed to
the young guns. It is hard to keep your composure in front of 110, 000
screaming fans. The Indian openers Ramesh and Laxman did that. They were
the story of the day. The key to chasing a relatively big total is of
course a good opening stand. India got that. The job of the later order
is to consolidate and push the scoreboard along. The two Pakistani
youngsters, Shoaib and Saqlain, however did not let India race away to
victory. They led the Pakistan fight back and brought the game back to
par.


The tricks that the wicket was supposed to play on the last two days are
not evident yet. If anything, the morning session indicated that the
pitch had eased up even further. Ramesh and Laxman played with poise and
pinpoint placement. One quality of a good opening pair
(Haynes/Greenidge) is that the two batsmen pace each other. So if one is
playing his strokes the other will rotate the strike to keep him on the
striker end. Then, when the aggressive one gets tired the other one
takes over. Ramesh took over the first session so that Laxman gets over
the early jitters of this being his last chance to perform before the
axe. After drinks Laxman took over. Wasim made changes to bring on all
of the five bowlers that he had but could not penetrate the defenses of
the two openers. The runs were coming at a relatively brisk pace and
India was on its merry way to 91/0 at lunch. After lunch the two batsmen
became even more confident. There was not even a semblance of a break
through in sight. Just when Pakistan had lost all hope, Ramesh played
Saqlain across the line and was LBW. A momentary loss of concentration
and Ramesh's departure after making 40 gave Pakistan some hope.


Laxman was in full control and was playing exquisite drives. Some
players are just unlucky however. The first time in the series when
Laxman had settled down and was playing well, he was given out bat bad
to Saqlain with the bat missing from the equation. Maybe it was the
unlucky hour where the stars were oriented a certain way to bring bad
luck to India. Tendulkar came in and was looking his usual fluent self,.
He flicked one off his pads. Easy 3 runs. He ran the first two quickly
and was running the third one quite comfortably looking at the ball.
Shoaib was doing the same while backing up the throw. The two collided,
the throw hit the stumps and the third umpire was called. After taking
his sweet time the third umpire declared Tendulkar run out as the
collision was not deliberate. Tendulkar walked dejectedly back and crowd
got understandably mad. They threw bottles and debris at Shoaib. The
umpires sent the players off and took early tea to calm things down.
There was talk of maybe Wasim asking Tendulkar to come back. India were
145/3.

Immediately after tea Shoaib produced a nasty one that took off and got
Dravid's glove for Moin to catch down the leg side. Shoaib's pace
visibly bothered Ganguly and Azhar and he was beating them frequently.
On the other end, Ganguly had a life when he edged one from Saqlain
which Wasim was late to react to in slip. Soon after, Azhar tried to
flick one off Saqlain to be held at short square leg. Mongia was beaten
for pace by Shoaib to get an LBW. Kumble and Ganguly however played
defiantly to take India to 216/6 at close with 65 runs to get.


The day was not spectacular but tense just the same. The off the field
troubles wasted some time and so 10 minutes will be made up by starting
early tomorrow morning. The match is even as it should be because the
teams have been evenly matched throughout. It is very fitting that
Pakistan's strength is pitted against India's strength as the final
battle. Laxman got a very well played 67 and Ramesh 40. For Pakistan,
Saqlain got 3 and Shoaib 2 wickets. The youngsters have come to the fore
with important contributions. Ganguly is well set and India's chances
depend mainly on him. In front of his home crowd he should do well. The
veterans Kumble and Srinath can bat pretty well too. Wasim has not got a
wicket yet in this innings. He hasn't gone wicket less in any innings so
far. The game will not last very long tomorrow but I don't think there
will be many seats empty in the Calcutta stadium.


Day 5


The end would have come early had the crowd not intervened. Lately the
Calcutta crowd has gathered a bad reputation for persistent trouble. Why
they do that is hard to explain since it does not change anything in
terms of the state of the game. Yesterday the commentators wanted Sachin
to be called back after the crowd started making trouble. What sort of
hogwash is that? If the umpire declares a batsman out then he walks to
the pavilion, end of story. I would rather walk to the pavilion being
given out incorrectly than being called back in a show of sympathy. I
think all good players with an ounce of ego would think that way. I was
reading the sports section of the Hindu and was shocked to find these
words by Qamar Ahmed, "Karachi in Pakistan is notorious for crowd
disturbances. When Srikkanth led India there in 1989, I remember a
religious fanatic jumping the fence and tearing the Indian captain's
shirt. He was soon marched off and got the punishment he deserved.
Another match at Karachi had to be abandoned against England in 1969
when the crowd set the stand on fire protesting against the selection of
the country's captain. Alan Knott was in his nineties and missed his
maiden Test hundred. But in Karachi, you can expect that." The Alan
Knott story was before my time and I do not recall the Srikanth episode.
But in any case, who gives Mr. Qamar Ahmed the right to generalize a
whole city on one or two isolated events. This is highly unprofessional
and quite cheap. The authorities and the organizers are to be blamed in
situations like these. In the US, if someone misbehaves in the stands,
he/she is thrown out and their season tickets cancelled etc. Security
does its job and removes the miscreants from the ground. In the end,
things got so bad that the whole crowd was evacuated and the match
completed. It was quite shameful that Pakistan won a wonderful test
match in front of an empty stadium.


India needed 65 more runs to win and Pakistan had to get 4 wickets
before that. Wasim had been bowling really well in this inning without
any luck. He had been beating the edge without getting nicks. This
morning he had luck early. Wasim moved one away from Ganguly, which he
tentatively pushed at to be caught at slip by Azhar. India's last hope
and their local hero had left early. Srinath came in but did not last
long. He edged a Wasim Akram delivery towards Azhar at first slip again.
Moin realized in a flash that it was going to drop short of Azhar so he
went for it and pulled off a great catch. India were 224/8 and in dire
straits. Shoaib Akhter was bowling his heart out on the other end. He
bowled one to Kumble, which he drove uppishly towards cover. In cricket
the toughest catch is the one diving forwards or backwards. If one has
to dive sideways it is easier. Shahid Afridi at cover had to dive
forward to pick the ball up inches from the ground. It was a blinder.
Soon after that the players on the field started getting pelted with
bottles, stones etc and the players were ordered off the field. The play
was delayed for many hours with the players trying to come back in twice
but receiving the same reaction from the crowd. The administration
finally decided to send everyone home forcibly and then resume play. So
play resumed in front of an empty stadium. Shoaib completed his over and
Wasim bowled one from the other end. The first ball of Shoaib's
following over was a beautiful yorker that rattled Prasad's stumps to
signal a great win for Pakistan.


India collapsed from 145/2 to 232 all out. It was an amazing come back
from Pakistan who never lost hope and kept trying hard to get wickets.
On the bowling side Shoaib got 8 wickets in the test and his feat
closely followed Srinath's 13 wickets. The batting stats however gave a
different story. The next best innings after Saeed's 188 not out was
Ramesh's 79 in the first innings. This meant that it was difficult to
get a big innings in this game and only one man did it. I thought he was
the difference in the game and was the sole man of the match. But it was
given jointly to Srinath and Saeed. I think this man of the match award
is getting a little too flaky. I thought it was supposed to be given to
a person who wins the game for his side. Sachin's innings in the first
test was great but it did not win the game for India. Similarly I
thought Srinath's performance was very good but Saeed should have been
the sole winner.


The hostilities for the time being are over. Pakistan and India might
meet again in Dhaka if they qualify for the final of this tournament.
These three tests however have returned the excitement to the game for
the two countries. Pakistan emerged victorious but there were many good
things that India can build on too. Wasim Akram's huddles and Miandad's
pep talks have done wonders for their team's spirit. It is funny how
quickly success changes things. Pakistan goes back home on a high note
waiting for Sri Lanka in Lahore. India travels to Colombo to face a
depleted Sri Lanka without Jayasuria and Muralitharan on the 24th of
February.