[Today in History] Memorable performance by Wasim Akram but Pakistan lost

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On this day in 1985, the third and last Test of Pakistan’s tour to New Zealand concluded in Dunedin.  Pakistan needed to win this one to level the series as they had lost the second test in Auckland by a margin of innings and 99 runs and wanted to make it even. They wanted to avert the Kiwis revenge of loss in their home ground but Jeremy Connie and Martin Crowe played a memorable knock and the last wicket stand of 50 runs sealed the defeat for Pakistan even Wasim Akram’s ten wickets in the match couldn’t help.

[caption id="attachment_253" align="alignright" width="209"] Wasim Akram’s memorable performance couldn’t help Pakistan win the match (Photo: Getty Images)[/caption]

Seeing the pitch being suitable for fast bowling both the teams went in the match without any spinner. Wasim Akram had the experience of only one Test and that game too didn’t leave any pleasant memories. On his debut Pakistan had lost with an innings and 90 runs and in Dunedin they were facing the series loss.

Understanding the conditions wisely New Zealand decided to bowl first after winning the toss and thus began the test for Pakistan. The third wicket stand of 141 runs between Javed Miandad and Qasim Omar brought hope for Pakistan but none of the other players could perform well. Pakistan’s last eight wickets could add only 33 runs in the score which shows the poor performance put up by the batsmen. From the Kiwis’ side Richard Hadlee picked up six wickets and despite Qasim Omar’s 96 and Miandad’s 76 Pakistan scored only 274 runs.

In return New Zealand too couldn’t survive Wasim Akram’s attack and besides Martin Crowe (57) no other Kiwi Batsman could put a bold front against Pakistani bowlers and got all out for 220 runs. Pakistan got an encouraging lead of 54 runs but more importantly it was a young fast bowler which brought Pakistan back into the game.  Wasim Akram achieved his first five-wicket haul in only his second Test heralding a bright future. He picked up the precious wickets of Geoff Howarth, John Reed, Martin Crowe, Geoff Crowe and Lance Cairns.

But Pakistan batted even more poorly in the second innings. Qasim Omar put up a stand of 67 runs with Mohsin Khan for second wicket and of 54 runs with wicket keeper Anil Dilpat for sixth wicket. The last wicket stand of 42 between Wasim Akram and Rashid Khan added some respect to the total but by large Pakistani batsmen put on a poor show. Zaheer Abbass who had scored only six in first innings went out without a run in second while Saleem Malik failed to get into double figures after scoring none in the first innings. Javed Miandad scored only two and Mudassir Nazar five and the whole Pakistani side perished at 223 runs.

New Zealand received a target of 278 runs which seemed difficult considering the behaviour of wicket and their first innings performance, became almost impossible when Pakistani bowlers sent back their top four batsmen for only 23 runs. John Wright, John Reed, Geoff Howarth and Geoff Crowe returned to pavilion one after another. Wasim Akram picked up Howarth and Geoff Crowe on two consecutive boundaries and put Pakistan on top of the game and thus bringing series levelling victory in sight. But at this instant Martin Crowe and Jeremy Connie erected a partnership of 157 runs which not only changed the course of the game but also became the reason for a historic win for New Zealand. Both of them negotiated the pace attack of Pakistan well and avoided further loss for New Zealand. Till the end of the day New Zealand were 114 for the loss of four wickets, and it was then when match entered into a sensational phase.

On the last day of the match both the players played cautiously in the early session and tried not to lose any further wicket but Martin Crowe fell to Tahir Naqash after scoring 84 off 165 runs.  Now all the responsibility lied on Connie’s shoulders who had to steer New Zealand to their destination along with tail enders but he didn’t really have any controls on the wickets falling at the other end. With 37 runs added, New Zealand lost two more wickets.

Lance Cairns entered the field when seven wickets had fallen, on a pitch which was producing sudden bounce, without a helmet. This was a mistake and it cost him dearly when a ball from Wasim Akram hit him straight on his head and he had to leave the ground in delicate condition. Cairns was shifted to a hospital where a minor fracture was detected in his skull and he was unable to get into the field despite his wish. He had to stay in hospital for three days. Lance Cairns is the father of renowned Kiwi all rounder Chris Cairns. Losing him by injury meant that now New Zealand had only two wickets left and Pakistan were tightening their grip on the match. Wasim Akram led them close to victory when he picked the wicket of Brendan Bracewell at the total of 228, while New Zealand needed 50 more runs. Jeremy Connie was lucky to have his wicket intact till tea break and New Zealand needed 43 runs in the last session of the match.

Pakistan lost the match when on the very first ball of the last session Rashid Khan dropped a simple catch off Jeremy Connie and in this manner match was gifted to New Zealand. Connie’s partner till the end was Evan Chattefield who also played his best and the most memorable innings of his life and scored 21 runs facing 84 balls. Connie scored second century of his career and both of them scored 50 runs for the last wicket to lead New Zealand to this remarkable victory.

It was a disappointing loss for Pakistan after winning it against New Zealand in the home series but one positive outcome of the tour was Wasim Akram’s find who was to be the architect of many victories in future. Wasim Akram played only two of the matches in series and got 12 wickets with the average of 19.41. In the same match Javed Miandad became the youngest batsman to complete 5000 runs. He was 27 years old then. While Richard Headlee too became the first Kiwi bowler to pick his 250th wicket in this match. Wasim Akram was declared man of the match for his brilliant performance.

Scorecard of the historic match

Pakistan vs New Zealand, 3rd Test

February 9-14, 1985

Venue: Carisbrook, Dunedin, New Zealand

Result: New Zealand won by 2 wickets

Player of the match: Wasim Akram

1st innings		Runs	Balls	4s	6s
Mudassar Nazar	c Jeff Crowe b Hadlee	18	29	1	0
Mohsin Khan	run out	39	117	5	0
Qasim Umar	c Jeff Crowe b Coney	96	215	10	0
Javed Miandad	c Smith b Hadlee	79	157	10	0
Zaheer Abbas	c Reid b Hadlee	6	8	1	0
Rashid Khan	c Martin Crowe b Hadlee	0	9	0	0
Anil Dalpat	b Bracewell	16	27	2	0
Saleem Malik	lbw b Hadlee	0	3	0	0
Tahir Naqqash	c Wright b Hadlee	0	3	0	0
Azeem Hafeez	c Smith b Bracewell	4	8	0	0
Wasim Akram	not out	1	8	0	0
Extras	(b 1, lb 2, nb 12)	15
Total	(all out; 94.2 overs)	274

 

New Zealand bowling	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets
Richard Hadlee	24	5	51	6
Brendon Bracewell	18.2	1	81	2
lance Cairns	22	0	77	0
Ewen Chatfield	24	6	46	0
Jeremy Coney	6	1	16	1

 

1st innings		Runs	Balls	4s	6s
Geoff Howarth	b Wasim Akram	23	64	4	0
John Wright	c Qasim Umar b Azeem Hafeez	32	42	3	1
John Reid	b Wasim Akram	24	60	4	0
Martin Crowe	c Javed Miandad b Wasim Akram	57	171	11	0
Jeff Crowe	lbw b Wasim Akram	6	12	1	0
Jeremy Coney	c †Anil Dalpat b Rashid Khan	24	58	1	0
Richard Hadlee	c †Anil Dalpat b Rashid Khan	18	20	2	0
Ian Smith	lbw b Tahir Naqqash	12	34	2	0
Lance Cairns	c Anil Dalpat b Wasim Akram	6	20	0	0
Brendon Bracewell	c Rashid Khan b Tahir Naqqash	3	23	0	0
Ewen Chatfield	not out	2	8	0	0
Extras	(b 7, lb 5, nb 1)	13
Total	(all out; 85.4 overs)	220

 

Pakistan bowling	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets
Rashid Khan	23	7	64	2
Azeem Hafeez	20	6	65	1
Wasim Akram	26	7	56	5
Tahir Naqqash	16.4	4	23	2

 

2nd innings		Runs	Balls	4s	6s
Mudassar Nazar	c Coney b Bracewell	5	12	1	0
Mohsin Khan	c MD Crowe b Hadlee	27	81	2	0
Qasim Umar	c †Smith b Chatfield	89	211	8	0
Javed Miandad	c Reid b Hadlee	2	3	0	0
Zaheer Abbas	lbw b Cairns	0	7	0	0
Saleem Malik	b Cairns	9	26	1	0
Anil Dalpat	b Chatfield	21	71	3	0
Tahir Naqqash	run out	1	5	0	0
Rashid Khan	b Bracewell	37	69	6	0
Azeem Hafeez	b Chatfield	7	17	1	0
Wasim Akram	not out	8	39	1	0
Extras	(b 1, lb 9, nb 7)	17
Total	(all out; 88.4 overs)	223

 

New Zealand bowling	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets
Richard Hadlee	26	9	59	2
Brendon Bracewell	14.4	2	48	2
Lance Cairns	22	4	41	2
Ewen Chatfield	26	5	65	3

 

2nd innings (target 278 runs)		Runs	Balls	4s	6s
Geoff Howarth	c Mohsin Khan b Wasim Akram	17	38	3	0
John Wright	c Mohsin Khan b Azeem Hafeez	1	14	0	0
John Reid	c †Anil Dalpat b Wasim Akram	0	7	0	0
Martin Crowe	c Mudassar Nazar b Tahir Naqqash	84	165	12	0
Jeff Crowe	lbw b Wasim Akram	0	1	0	0
Jeremy Coney	not out	111	243	12	0
Richard Hadlee	b Azeem Hafeez	11	22	1	0
Ian Smith	c Javed Miandad b Wasim Akram	6	9	0	0
Lance Cairns	retired hurt	0	5	0	0
Brendon Bracewell	c Tahir Naqqash b Wasim Akram	4	24	1	0
Ewen Chatfield	not out	21	84	1	0
Extras	(b 5, lb 6, w 1, nb 11)	23
Total	(8 wickets; 99.4 overs)	278

 

Pakistan bowling	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets
Rashid Khan	9	2	33	0
Azeem Hafeez	32	9	84	2
Wasim Akram	33	10	72	5
Tahir Naqqash	16.4	1	58	1
Madassar Nazar	9	2	20	0