INCREDIBLE
LAST OVER
Pakistan v
West Indies • Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore,
16 October 1987
16 October 1987
This was a battle royale as the former champions
West Indies took on the home team and hot favourites, Pakistan. The West Indies
had already lost one of their two encounters, so a victory in this game was
crucial. Pakistan had won both their matches, and were looking to maintain
their winning streak.
The West Indian openers Desmond Haynes and Phil
Simmons seemed aware of their responsibility, as they put on 91 runs. But both
were dismissed in quick succession. Simmons hit up a free-scoring half-century
in his first outing. Left-armer Salim Jaffer got among the wickets as Richie
Richardson and Gus Logie too fell soon. Skipper Vivian Richards stemmed the rot
in the company of Carl Hooper in a fifth-wicket stand of 47. Hooper was trapped
leg-before by Wasim Akram, who accounted for Jeff Dujon in a similar vein.
Richards was dismissed by his opposite number, Imran Khan. Bowling a fine spell,
Imran did not let the lower-order prosper. The West Indies were bowled out for
216. Imran finished with four for 37.
Pakistan made heavy weather of the run-chase.
They lost Mansoor Akhtar and Salim Malik cheaply before Rameez Raja and Javed
Miandad steadied the ship. Then three wickets fell in a heap, with the Pakistan
score looking a sorry 110 for five off 35 overs. It seemed an impossible task
for the lower half to get the remaining 107 runs at more than seven per over.
Wicketkeeper Salim Yousuf took matters in his hands and went for the bowling
with gusto. The proverbial luck of the brave favoured him and he was dropped
thrice. His belligerent 56 off 49 balls with 7 boundaries gave a ray of hope to
the hosts. But wickets began tumbling. At the end of 49 overs the Pakistanis
were 203 for nine. Fourteen runs were required off the last six deliveries with
Abdul Qadir and Salim Jaffer at the crease, as Courtney Walsh came up to bowl.
Walsh had performed splendidly so far. In nine
overs he had captured four important wickets for 26 runs. All he had to do now
was to be on target. Qadir took a single off the first ball. Jaffer did
likewise off the second. The batsmen scrambled two off the third ball. Ten runs
were now required off the last three deliveries. Ones and twos would not do.
Incredibly, Qadir swiped a straight six off the
fourth delivery. Four were needed off two balls. Qadir again ran two. Two were
now required off the last ball, and the tension was unbearable. Walsh ran up to
bowl; Jaffer, in his excitement, backed up too far. Walsh did not deliver and
nodded a warning to Jaffer. The truant non-striker returned sheepishly to his
crease. Walsh came in again and Qadir swung. The batsmen ran for their lives
and completed the two runs needed. Pakistan had won by one wicket off the last
ball. Amid scenes of wild jubilation Qadir was the hero of the moment, of
perhaps the most dramatic finish in One-day cricket.
But the game had also seen another hero,
Courtney Walsh, for his tremendous show of sportsmanship, particularly when the
match was poised on a razor’s edge. It is acts such as these that make cricket
the great game that it is.
West Indies : 216 all out (49.3 overs)
Pakistan : 217 for 9 wickets (50 overs)
(Author Indra Vikram Singh can be contacted
on email singh_iv@hotmail.com).
The
Big Book of World Cup Cricket 1975-2011
ISBN
978-81-901668-4-3
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in India by Variety Book Depot, Connaught Place, New Delhi, Phones + 91 11
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