For the generation that I belong to, watching matches that gave you near-confirmed heart attacks was the norm.
asserted
that → belong → attacks
Whether it was the Chennai Test of 1999 against India, the Multan Test of 2003 against Bangladesh, the inaugural T20 World Cup final against India, or Saeed Ajmal’s brutal bashing at the hands of Australia’s Mike Hussey three years later, we grew up watching cricket at the edge of our seats.
asserted
we → grow → seats
Victory was never guaranteed until the final ball, and sometimes defeat had to stare us in the face before glory could be claimed.
uncertain
glory → guarantee → face
After two recent nail-biting encounters in the recently concluded tri-nation series, I was surprised to see my 11-year-old jumping out of his seat at Sri Lankan Janith Liyanage’s penultimate-ball six that culminated the second highest successful ODI chase in history and, in England’s next match, Shadab Khan’s match-turning innings — his maiden ODI century and the highest 10th wicket partnership in the history of ODIs.
asserted
that → bite → ODIs
When I confronted him, I heard what every father in his forties must eventually endure: “What do you know about close matches?
asserted
you → confront → matches
Have you ever even seen one?”
asserted
you → see → one
Shadab Khan’s match-turning innings against England in the ODI tri-series on October 25 forces a recollection of the oft-forgotten heritage of Pakistani batsmen winning seemingly lost-cause matches
For someone who grew up on an ODI diet, has witnessed Pakistan collapse for 87 while chasing 125, endured the heartbreak of the 1987 World Cup semi-final in Lahore, and seen the World Champions crumble for 43
asserted
Champions → turn → 43
, this was too much to take.
asserted
this → take → ?
I did what any aggrieved father would do.
asserted
father → do → what
I took him back to 1986, to a time when there was no internet, coloured kits were still an exception rather than the norm, and cricket was played as much for pride as for victory.
asserted
cricket → take → victory
The rivalry was finely poised as, out of the 17 encounters, India had won eight, while one had been abandoned following the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
asserted
one → poise → Gandhi
In December 1986, Sharjah was hosting a four-nation tournament that also featured the West Indies and Sri Lanka.
asserted
that → host → Indies
The West Indies swept all three matches to win the title, leaving the India-Pakistan encounter a dead rubber in the standings, but a battle of nerves on the field.
asserted
Indies → sweep → field
Imran Khan exploited the conditions to bowl India out for 144 in the 44th over of a scheduled 45.
asserted
Khan → exploit → 45
Mohammad Azharuddin top-scored with 49, while Imran claimed three wickets.
asserted
Imran → score → wickets
In reply, Pakistan’s batters did what today’s team has become all too familiar with.
asserted
team → do → what
After a promising 50-run opening stand, Ramiz Raja and Shoaib Mohammad fell.
asserted
Raja → fall → stand
Asif Mujtaba, playing only his third ODI, managed 11.
asserted
Mujtaba → play → 11
Then came disaster: Miandad was dismissed for a golden duck, Imran for a two-ball duck and Mudassar Nazar for just one run.
asserted
Miandad → come → run
From 50 without loss, Pakistan slumped to 53 for four and then 65 for six.
asserted
Pakistan → slump → six
Manzoor Elahi, often regarded as Pakistan’s answer to Ian Botham, was left to fight alone.
asserted
Elahi → regard → Botham
He had already made an impression on his ODI debut against India two years earlier, scoring a valuable 36 and bowling out Kapil Dev and Mohinder Amarnath.
asserted
He → make → Dev
Here, he produced the innings of his life, scoring a maiden ODI fifty, while dispatching Kapil Dev and Ravi Shastri for boundaries.
asserted
he → produce → boundaries
His 54-ball stay, featuring three fours and two sixes, carried Pakistan to a memorable victory and, since then, India’s win ratio against Pakistan in ODIs never went up.
asserted
ratio → feature → ODIs
Twenty-eight days later, Asif Mujtaba found himself in Perth, playing in the America Cup, with Pakistan chasing 274 against Australia.
asserted
Pakistan → find → Australia
Opener Qasim Umar, playing in his last tournament before being banned, launched a remarkable counterattack, reaching his fifty with Pakistan’s score at 68.
asserted
Umar → play → 68
He eventually fell for 67, with Pakistan reeling at 96 for five.
asserted
Pakistan → fall → five
Manzoor Elahi and Imran Khan tried to rebuild, but Imran’s dismissal at 129 left Pakistan needing around 150 runs, with more than 21 overs remaining.
asserted
overs → try → runs
Asif arrived and took charge, adding 52 with Manzoor, 43 with Saleem Yusuf and another 43 with Wasim Akram, who contributed just five runs.
asserted
who → arrive → runs
When last man Saleem Jaffar joined him, Pakistan needed seven runs from the final over.
asserted
Pakistan → join → over
Asif’s mistimed shot for a four was stopped at the boundary, leaving Jaffar to face Steve Waugh.
asserted
shot → mistime → Waugh
Eleven months later, Waugh would torment Jaffar in the 1987 World Cup semi-final, helping Australia post a formidable total and ending Pakistan’s hopes of reaching the final.
asserted
Australia → torment → final
But here, in front of 17,000 spectators at the WACA Ground and millions of radio listeners in Karachi, Jaffar struck Waugh for a double off the penultimate ball, winning the match.
asserted
Jaffar → strike → match
Nearly six years later, he would produce another memorable rescue act in Hobart.
asserted
he → produce → Hobart
He would smash his only six of the innings on the last ball, to tie the score.
asserted
He → smash → score
Guess who was bowling then.
asserted
who → guess → ?
Then, who can forget Salim Malik’s whirlwind innings in Kolkata, when Pakistan needed 79 runs in nine overs?
asserted
Pakistan → forget → overs
Chasing 239 to win in 40 overs, Pakistan were 160 for five when Manzoor Elahi was dismissed.
asserted
Elahi → chase → five
With his place in the side at stake, the 23-year-old Malik responded with an unbeaten 72 off just 36 balls, taking on Kapil Dev and Maninder Singh to pull off a remarkable chase.
asserted
Malik → respond → chase
Pakistan won the match by two wickets with three deliveries left, taking their tally of wins against India to double figures.
asserted
Pakistan → win → figures
…and 11 more, not listed.
The Aporia
