Setting the Stage
The Multan
Cricket Stadium, newly inaugurated as Test cricket’s 81st venue, welcomed
Bangladesh with hope and Pakistan with expectation. For Bangladesh, it was a
chance to avoid defeat in their fourth Test; for Pakistan, a homecoming wrapped
in the fervour of returning Test cricket to Multan after two decades. Yet, by
the third morning, the contest had turned into a study in extremes — Pakistan’s
dominance illuminating Bangladesh’s frailties. What unfolded was one of the
heaviest defeats in Test history, raising sharp questions about the
International Cricket Council’s haste in granting Bangladesh Test status.
Bangladesh’s
Faltering Beginnings
The
visitors’ optimism was short-lived. Skipper Naimur Rahman chose to bat on a
surface expected to take turn, but his side’s lack of technique and patience
was soon exposed. Within 41.1 overs — barely two sessions — they were dismissed
for 134. Coincidence became cruelty when their second innings consumed the same
number of overs, though yielding 14 more runs. Habibul Bashar, with a composed
56 not out, alone offered resistance, his effort a solitary beacon in otherwise
cavalier batting.
Pakistan’s
Batting Masterclass
If Bangladesh’s innings revealed fragility, Pakistan’s response embodied exuberance. They amassed 546 for three declared at a dazzling 4.75 runs an over, striking 82 boundaries in a display that bordered on the theatrical. Saeed Anwar, fluent and destructive, crossed 4,000 Test runs while racing to 101. His partner, the debutant Taufeeq Umar, etched his name in history as Pakistan’s eighth batsman to score a century on debut.
Inzamam-ul-Haq,
the local hero, fulfilled a childhood dream with a century in front of his home
crowd, though dehydration forced him to retire. From there, Yousuf Youhana and
Abdul Razzaq turned the spectacle into a race for glory — both storming to centuries,
their unbroken partnership of 165 an exhibition of command. Four of the five
centuries were scored in a single day, a statistical feat that elevated the
performance into the annals of Test cricket.
The
Bowling Symphony: Spin and Pace in Concert
If
Pakistan’s batsmen were overwhelmed with artistry, their bowlers dismantled
Bangladesh with ruthless efficiency. Danish Kaneria, still in the infancy of
his career, spun webs with bounce and guile, taking six wickets in each innings
for just 94 runs. Ten dismissals fell to close-in catches, four pouched by
Younis Khan, who set a record for a substitute fielder. Waqar Younis
contributed with a fiery spell of 4 for 19, while even debutant Shoaib Malik
chipped in with two wickets.
Bangladesh’s
second innings — beginning with a mountain to climb — collapsed under the twin
pressure of Kaneria’s spin and Waqar’s pace. Bashar again fought with dignity,
but his defiance was lonely. The team folded for 148, and the inevitable
innings-and-264-run defeat was sealed within two and a half days.
Records and Rarities
This match
was not merely lopsided; it was historically significant.
Five
Centuries in One Innings: Pakistan’s 546 for three is the lowest total to include five hundreds,
eclipsing the West Indies’ 550 with four in 1982–83.
Left-Handed
Landmarks: For the
first time in Test history, both left-handed openers — Anwar and Taufeeq —
scored centuries in the same innings.
Twin
Century Partnerships for the Same Wicket: Youhana was central to two unbroken century
stands for the fourth wicket, a unique feat.
Centuries
on Debut in Successive Tests: Taufeeq Umar’s hundred in Multan was mirrored the very next day in
Colombo by Sri Lanka’s T.T. Samaraweera — a quirky coincidence in Test lore.
A Match
Shadowed by Tragedy
Yet amid
the celebrations, the occasion was darkened by personal grief. Saeed Anwar,
whose century had opened the floodgates, learned of the death of his young
daughter, Bismah, during the match. His quiet exit from the contest lent the
triumph a sombre undertone — a reminder that cricket’s ecstasies are never far
from life’s sorrows.
Lessons
and Legacies
For
Pakistan, the match was both a statement of strength and a glimpse of the
future: Kaneria’s rise as a genuine spin threat, Umar’s promising debut, and a
batting order overflowing with confidence. For Bangladesh, it was a stark
confrontation with reality. Their elevation to Test cricket was intended to
accelerate development, but the gulf in skill and temperament suggested a
premature leap.
Multan,
with its scorching heat and fervent crowds, staged not only a contest but also
a metaphor: Pakistan’s cricket blossomed under the sun, while Bangladesh wilted
in its glare. The innings defeat, emphatic and historic, was both a celebration
of Pakistani brilliance and an urgent call for Bangladesh to rebuild if they
were to claim a place among the serious nations of Test cricket.
Thank You
Faisal Caesar
