Nostalgia, Friendship and Cricket: Recalling India's Tour of Pakistan, 2004

The Sultan of Multan, an Untimely Declaration, and the sweet taste of victory

In the subcontinent, Test cricket doesn’t pull in as much a crowd as the limited-overs version. It was clearly evident from the reduction in the viewership at the Multan Cricket Stadium. However, the cricketing prowess displayed by the Indians was of a very high standard, and in the end, Pakistan faltered to go 0-1 down.

The chief architect of this victory was the Delhi dasher and bane of many a bowling attack around the world – Virender Sehwag. He was just in his zone from the word go, and forged a useful alliance with the maestro Tendulkar as they went about destroying the hapless host bowling in their own different ways. It’s not every day that you see an Indian record a double century in Test matches, but what the opener did in that match was go beyond that figure to write himself into record books as the first Indian to score a Test triple hundred.

His 309 formed the backdrop of India’s mammoth 675/5 declared, with useful contributions from Yuvraj Singh, Aakash Chopra & VVS Laxman. Yet Indian fans fondly speak of the Sultan of Multan because of his sheer dominance of the Pakistani bowlers, despite occasionally losing concentration and trying to smash every ball out of the park.

There was also a bit of a controversy towards the end of the Indian innings, with stand-in skipper Dravid declaring when Sachin was six short of yet another double hundred in Test cricket. As the former captain put it in his autobiography, he was livid at the decision, contending that he’d just lost a chance to reach a coveted landmark despite the ample amount of time left in the day’s play. While the matter was discussed internally and then put to rest, it might just have left a sour taste in everyone’s mouths.

Pathan & Balaji, however, made short work of the rival lineup, despite Inzamam & Hameed’s superb performances. India were not to be denied, though, and having enforced the follow-on, it took another web of mystique from veteran leg-spinner Anil Kumble to finish off the game in grand style, and take the lead in the three-match series.

Clinical, I suppose, is the best way to sum up the visitors’ approach in this match.