India’s three-match ODI series against Pakistan was not just another bilateral contest; it carried the weight of history, emotion, and fierce rivalry. Cricketing encounters between these two nations have always transcended the sport, fueling narratives of national pride and competitive ferocity. After Pakistan’s clinical victory in the opening encounter at Hyderabad and India’s spirited response in Karachi, the stage was set for a high-stakes decider in Lahore. The match was more than a game; it was a battle of nerve and skill, played under the floodlights of expectation.
As Pakistan won the toss and opted to field, the Indian innings unfolded like a tragedy in acts. The tension in the air was palpable, the roaring crowd adding to the theatre of the contest. Aaqib Javed set the tone early, removing the iconic Sachin Tendulkar for a mere seven runs. The early setback rattled India, and while Sourav Ganguly, coming off a fluent 89 in the previous match, looked assured at the crease, his innings was cut short by the wily Saqlain Mushtaq for 26. The real devastation, however, was yet to come.
Azhar Mahmood, amid a spell that seemed almost supernatural in its efficacy, sliced through India’s middle order with ruthless precision. Robin Singh (17), Vinod Kambli (6), and skipper Mohammad Azharuddin (6) all perished to his mastery, unable to counter the seaming deliveries and disciplined line. The wickets fell like dominoes, and at 77 for five, India teetered on the edge of complete collapse, their dreams of a series win flickering like a candle in the wind.
Ajay Jadeja, ever the tenacious fighter, mounted a valiant rearguard action. His partnership of 53 with Saba Karim added some semblance of respectability to the innings, but even his defiant 76 could not prevent India from the cardinal sin of getting bowled out inside their 50 overs. The innings lacked the finishing flourish that could have pushed the total to a competitive level. A total of 216 was a mere offering to the cricketing gods, especially on a track that held no demons. It was not enough, and the Indian camp knew it.
The Ijaz Ahmed Spectacle
The chase began with the verve and audacity that Pakistan’s opening duo embodied. Shahid Afridi, a maverick with an insatiable appetite for destruction, immediately took the attack to India’s bowlers. His fearless approach injected instant momentum into the innings. At the other end, Ijaz Ahmed, the eventual protagonist of the evening, played the role of a watchful aggressor before shifting into higher gear. The partnership was built on complementary styles—Afridi’s explosive, high-risk stroke play and Ijaz’s calculated, methodical decimation of the bowling attack.
Ijaz announced his intentions with a disdainful straight drive off Abey Kuruvilla before launching a majestic six over long-on. His presence at the crease exuded authority, and the audacity of his stroke play left the Indian bowlers in disarray. Debasis Mohanty, hapless against Ijaz’s onslaught, was butchered for 24 runs in a single over. Every delivery seemed to be met with an iron-willed determination to dominate. Afridi’s dismissal for 47 off just 23 balls momentarily gave India a sliver of hope, but it proved ephemeral.
If aggression had a face that night, it was Ijaz Ahmed. His batting was a blend of artistry and brute force. Against Nilesh Kulkarni’s left-arm spin, he danced down the track and dispatched the ball over long-on with nonchalant ease. The plan to curb his dominance with round-the-wicket deliveries failed spectacularly as Ijaz lofted Kulkarni inside out over long-off. The carnage was relentless. Rajesh Chauhan, rendered ineffective, was sent crashing through the covers before being lifted disdainfully over long-on.
The Indian bowlers had no answers. Every ploy to unsettle Ijaz was met with a counterattack of supreme confidence. He seemed impervious to pressure, his bat an extension of his indomitable spirit. His innings embodied an almost poetic aggression, painting the Lahore night sky with soaring sixes and crashing boundaries. When he reached his century in just 68 balls, it was not just a milestone; it was a statement. A straight six off Ganguly brought up the landmark, and yet he remained unsatisfied, intent on finishing the job himself.
Robin Singh, introduced late into the attack, found himself at the receiving end of Ijaz’s unrelenting fury. His first delivery, a full toss, was hoisted over square-leg. His short ball was ruthlessly dispatched to mid-wicket. Every error in length was punished with the precision of a marksman. The pressure had long dissipated for Pakistan, replaced with an air of inevitability.
The end came most fittingly—Ijaz, unshackled and imperious, charged down the track to Ganguly and launched his ninth six of the innings over long-on. His 139 off just 84 balls, adorned with ten boundaries and nine sixes, was an innings of unbridled domination. It was not merely a knock—it was a masterclass in power-hitting and poise under pressure.
As Pakistan romped home in 26.2 overs, India stood witness to a masterclass in power-hitting and composure under pressure. Even the defeated captain, Sachin Tendulkar, acknowledged its brilliance, calling it one of the greatest one-day innings he had ever seen.
On that fateful night in Lahore, the boundaries seemed to shrink, the bowlers looked mere mortals, and Ijaz Ahmed, with his sublime hitting, etched his name in the annals of cricketing folklore. It was not just a victory—it was an emphatic declaration of supremacy, a reminder of the ruthlessness of Pakistan’s batting prowess when the mood struck. Ijaz Ahmed had not merely played an innings; he had orchestrated a spectacle, one that would be replayed in memory for years to come.
Thank You
Faisal Caesar
