The Art of Conquest: Waqar Younis vs. Brian Lara, Rawalpindi 1997

Some cricketing battles transcend the game itself, elevating the sport to an art form—an intricate interplay of skill, strategy, and the raw force of nature. One such encounter unfolded on a cold, grey morning in Rawalpindi in November 1997, when two of the sport’s greatest exponents, Brian Lara and Waqar Younis, clashed in a passage of play so compelling that it remains etched in memory long after the broader context of the series has faded.

This was no hyperbolic spectacle akin to professional wrestling, where taglines such as "The Prince of Port-of-Spain meets the Sultan of Swing" might have been deployed for dramatic effect. Instead, it was a battle of cricketing wits, fought in earnest under the weight of West Indian expectations. Already humbled by an innings defeat in the first Test in Peshawar, the visitors turned to their premier batsman in the hope of salvation. Lara, still recovering from a double failure in the previous match and the lingering disappointment of being overlooked for the captaincy, arrived at the crease with much to prove.

Setting the Stage: The Key Players

Lara’s predicament was compounded by off-field controversies. Despite significant lobbying from his native Trinidad & Tobago, the West Indies Cricket Board had retained veteran fast bowler Courtney Walsh as captain. This decision raised questions about Lara’s commitment and mental state, making his performance in Rawalpindi a matter of both personal and professional redemption.

At the other end stood Waqar Younis, a fast bowler of rare menace, inexplicably omitted from the series opener but now unleashed with a point to prove. Known for his searing pace and late swing, Waqar embodied Pakistan’s proud tradition of reverse swing mastery. His mission was clear: dismantle the West Indies' most dangerous weapon before he could inflict any damage.

Early Exchanges: The Battle Begins

The duel began with a cautious prod from Lara to a probing inswinger, a momentary pause before the fireworks. Then came two successive cover drives, both executed with typical elegance, both scorching to the boundary. The strokes bore Lara’s signature brilliance and left Waqar visibly unsettled, prompting a hurried mid-pitch conference with his captain, Wasim Akram. The balance seemed to shift momentarily in Lara’s favour.

Buoyed by his early success, the West Indian maestro attempted to impose his authority. The next ball, though full and inviting, was mistimed—dragged through mid-off for a couple rather than dispatched for a third consecutive four. If Lara had sensed a weakness in Waqar, it was an illusion. Champions recalibrated, and Waqar, sensing his moment, began to plot his counteroffensive.

The Masterstroke: Waqar’s Lethal Yorker

Great fast bowlers possess an intuitive understanding of when to strike. Waqar, with all the cunning of a seasoned predator, had lured Lara into a false sense of dominance. Three half-volleys in his arc had conditioned the batsman to expect another driveable delivery. Then came the ambush.

Delivered with a blistering pace, the ball initially appeared destined for another full-length stroke. Lara, with his characteristic high backlift, shaped to meet it. But in the blink of an eye, the ball swerved wickedly inwards—a masterclass in late inswing.

Realizing the deception too late, Lara attempted an instinctive rescue act—shifting his feet, lowering his bat in a desperate attempt to block. It was futile. The ball had already breached his defences, crashing into the base of his leg stump. The spectacle was complete—Lara knocked off balance, collapsed onto his hands and knees, momentarily frozen in the humbling realization that he had been utterly undone.

Aftermath: A Moment Etched in Time

The image remains iconic, not just for its sheer brutality but for the poetic finality it represents. Lara, one of the most graceful batsmen in cricket history, had been rendered momentarily powerless—a testament to the sheer brilliance of his opponent.

Some dismissals are mere footnotes in a match report; others become the stuff of legend. This was the latter. Cricket has long been defined by moments where genius meets its match—Michael Holding’s evisceration of Geoffrey Boycott in the cauldron of Kensington Oval in 1981, Shane Warne’s ‘Ball of the Century’ to Mike Gatting in 1993. Waqar Younis' searing yorker in Rawalpindi belongs in the same pantheon.

Conclusion: Cricket’s Timeless Theatre

Cricket is, at its heart, a contest of moments—instances of brilliance that outlive the matches themselves. On that bleak morning in Rawalpindi, in front of a sparse but fortunate audience, Waqar Younis delivered a masterpiece. His dismissal of Brian Lara was not just a wicket; it was an emphatic statement, a moment of pure cricketing theatre.

For all the analysis of technique, tactics, and psychological warfare, some deliveries defy deconstruction. They exist as timeless artefacts of the game’s rich history, immune to revision or reinterpretation. Waqar’s yorker to Lara was one such moment—an unforgettable strike that stands as a testament to the beauty, cruelty, and enduring allure of cricket.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar

A Test of Fire: Colin Croft’s Arrival and Pakistan’s Brave Resistance

In the spring of 1977, as the Caribbean sun bore down on the Queen’s Park Oval in Port-of-Spain, a new force in West Indies fast bowling announced itself to the world. With Michael Holding sidelined due to injury and Vanburn Holder also unavailable, West Indies turned to two uncapped pacemen—Joel Garner and Colin Croft. If there were any doubts about their ability to fill the void, they were dispelled with ruthless precision.

The first Test in Bridgetown had already hinted at their promise. Garner, towering and menacing, extracted bounce that made even the most accomplished batsmen uneasy, while Croft, with his whippy, skidding pace and a penchant for hostility, left an imprint on the match and the selectors. 

Now, in Port-of-Spain, they had another opportunity.

Croft Unleashes a Storm

Pakistan captain Mushtaq Mohammad won the toss and chose to bat, sending Majid Khan and his younger brother Sadiq to open. They could not have foreseen the tempest that awaited them.

It took only a few deliveries for Croft to signal his intent. From a good length, a ball reared up violently, crashing into Sadiq’s forearm before he could react. The younger Mohammad was forced to retire hurt, and Pakistan’s innings, still in its infancy, had already suffered a body blow.

What followed was a masterclass in aggressive, calculated fast bowling. Haroon Rasheed and Mushtaq himself were drawn into fatal errors outside off stump, nicking behind. Asif Iqbal, usually a reliable presence, perished for a duck. The scoreboard, once stable at 21 for no loss, now read 21 for 3—with Sadiq absent injured.

Wasim Raja walked in, aware that survival alone would not suffice. His counterattacking instincts kicked in, and Pakistan, momentarily, breathed again. While Majid dropped anchor, Raja played with daring, carving out boundaries that forced Clive Lloyd to reconsider his options. Croft had done enough damage for now; he was rested after a spell of 3 for 18 in 8 overs.

For a time, Pakistan clawed back. Majid, patient and disciplined, played a rare subdued innings, holding one end while Raja took the attack to the opposition. Their resilience took Pakistan past 100, a small psychological victory. But just as the innings seemed to stabilize, Garner struck, trapping Majid leg-before for a hard-fought 47.

Pakistan’s lower order attempted resistance. Imran Khan fell to left-arm spinner Raphick Jumadeen, but a heavily strapped Sadiq Khan returned, determined to make amends. Raja, unwavering in his approach, continued to defy the West Indian attack.

Then, Lloyd brought back Croft.

The effect was immediate. A ball sneaked through Raja’s defences, sending the stumps cartwheeling. Sadiq, trying to settle in, drove straight back to the bowler, who accepted the return catch. Intikhab Alam’s off-stump was next to be uprooted. Saleem Altaf, unable to withstand Croft’s relentless attack, was bowled for a duck.

Wasim Bari, in a last-ditch effort, swung his bat with abandon but managed only 21 before he, too, fell victim to Croft’s unerring accuracy.

Pakistan had been dismissed for 180. Croft’s final figures—18.5 overs, 7 maidens, 29 runs, 8 wickets—etched his name into the record books. No West Indian fast bowler had ever taken eight wickets in an innings. Even Holding, the man Croft had replaced, had not managed such destruction.

West Indies Take Control

Pakistan, rattled but not broken, responded through their bowlers. Saleem Altaf struck early, but the veteran Roy Fredericks was in imperious form. His strokeplay, full of authority, silenced any murmurs of a comeback. A commanding 120 put West Indies firmly ahead, though Mushtaq Mohammad’s leg-spin disrupted the middle order, finishing with 4 for 50.

Garner and Croft, proving their worth with the bat as well, stitched together a crucial 46-run stand for the ninth wicket, pushing the total to 316. The lead—136 runs—was significant, but not insurmountable.

Pakistan’s Brave Fightback

Faced with a daunting deficit, Pakistan needed an extraordinary effort to stay in the game. Their response was spirited. Majid and a still-bruised Sadiq refused to surrender, putting on a defiant 123-run opening stand. Majid’s stylish 54 and Sadiq’s gutsy 81 gave Pakistan hope.

Yet again, Wasim Raja emerged as the driving force. With his audacious strokeplay, he added 84, peppering the boundary with seven fours and two sixes. His dismissal, caught by Garner off Croft, was a decisive moment. Though Imran Khan contributed some late fireworks, Pakistan were bowled out for 340.

Croft, despite his continued menace, was overshadowed in the second innings by Andy Roberts (4 for 85) and Garner (3 for 48). The target was 205—reachable, but not trivial.

The Chase and the Final Blow

West Indies began with authority. Fredericks and Greenidge cruised to 97 for the first wicket, but Pakistan, true to their resilient nature, struck back. Raja, making his presence felt in every department, dismissed Fredericks. Then, Imran Khan’s fiery spell removed Richards, Shillingford, and Greenidge in quick succession, reducing West Indies from 159 for 1 to 170 for 4.

For a fleeting moment, Pakistan sensed an opening. But Alvin Kallicharran and Clive Lloyd ensured there would be no late drama. With measured aggression, they guided West Indies home to a six-wicket victory.

A Battle for the Ages

The Test had seen two exceptional individual performances—one from a man making his mark, the other from a batsman who refused to bow down to the inevitable.

Colin Croft’s 8 for 29 was a statement. A reminder that West Indies' pace battery had seemingly endless reserves of talent. His aggression, accuracy, and hostility had tormented Pakistan’s batsmen, leaving them gasping for breath.

Wasim Raja, on the other hand, had played two of the finest innings of his career. His first-innings 65 was bold, his second-innings 84 was fearless. He had taken the fight to the opposition, refusing to surrender against insurmountable odds.

In the end, the two shared the Man of the Match award—a fitting tribute to a battle that had been as much about skill as it was about courage.

For Croft, this was just the beginning. For Pakistan, it was yet another lesson in resilience. And for cricket, it was a Test that would be remembered for generations.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar