Memories Of Greatest Cricketers - - #8 Shane Warne

[sivank]

The third Test at karachi was scheduled between the 14 and 19 of Nov. Before that Bedi made a novum of forfeiting a One day match. Along with the 3 Tests 3 one day matches were also in the programm. After winning the 1st one day match India lost the 2 nd one. On the 3 rd nov. India played the 3 rd one day match against Pakistan. After palying the full 40 0vers ( it was a 40 over match with 5 bowlers of 8 overs each) pak scored 205 runs. India replied strongly with gaekwad and surinder scoring fluenty. suddenly the bouncer and bumper war started. Sarfaraz bowled a over full of bouncers. Nothing was called from the umpires. As the score was 183 and 22 runs required from 18 balls with India losing only 2 wickets the dices were rolling in India´s favour. Sarfaraz started his 7th over again with bumpers. He bowled 4 bumpers without being called wide. The batsmen were in no position to score since the balls were too high. A very angry Bedi recalled his batsmen and forfeited the match. It stood in the match report:

Bishen Bedi conceded the match in protest against the short pitched bowling tactics of Pakistan. Sarfraz Nawaz's last 4 deliveries were all out of reach of the batsmen, and not called wide by the umpire

The tempers were not good between the team. The entire tour was supposed to be full of harmony. But the atmosphere was anything other than harmony.

Bedi won the Toss for the first time in tests and decided to bat. India made one change by bringing Ghavri for prasanna who never again played for India. Pak. also made one change by bringing sikandher bakt for saleem altaf.

The scoring was slow. Imran was nearly unplayable. India finished its innings with a score of 344 out of which sunny scored 111. Kapil Dev who came as a nightwatchman scored a free 59. Kapil is now being talked as a good allrounder. Pakistan batted strongly to post a score of 481 a lead of 137. javed got exactly 100 before edging to kirmani off kapil. Infact every one scored including a whirlwind 32 from Imran. India playing its 2nd innings on the 4th day was 131 for 2 with sunny 67 n.o still on the crease, losing only chetan and mohinder who scored a great 53. Everything once again looked as a draw.

Imran started with a great over to kirmani who came as NW. In trying to fend a fast short ball kirmani could only lob it to Iqbal Qasim who was posted by Imran just before this delivery. vishy followed soon after edjing to bari of f sarfaraz. Surinder who was sick played a short innings but was run out soon after standing at the same end as sunny. vengsarkar gave some support for sunny who was playing a lone fiddle. soon vengsarkar was also gone for blinder from sarfaraz. Ghavri gave some support to sunny who was again given a very suspect verdict of caught behind off sarfaraz after making 137. As every one was expecting the curtains to fall, Kapil and ghavri started hitting merrily. Ghavri who gave tremendous support to sunny to move the score from 173 to 246 was finally cleared by an Imran outswinger which he edged to the hands of javed in first slip after making 35. Two runs later kapil who was playing strongly tried to hit sarfaraz for a 3rd six found MM at long on. India were all out for 300 leaving pakistan to score 164 in less than 2 hours time.

It was a very close shave. India could have made it as a draw, but the was how Asif Iqbal and javed were stealing singles was unbelievable. Asif who should be 12 to 13 years older than Javed was running as fast as Javed. At the fall of Asif ´s wicket everyone was expecting mudassar or zaheer but Imran was sent by MM. Imran showed why he was condsidered as the best allrounder at his time. He smashed Bedi for 2 huge sixes and took 19 runs from his over. This one over changed the match for pakistan. Till then it was touch and go.

So, a match which could have been a draw ended with a victorius pakistani team.

Imran showed that even in dull Sub continent pitches firery spells could be bowled.