Pakistan cricket - Magnificent Fazal Mahmood at the Oval

Fazal Mahmood in action against England, fourth Test, Oval, 1954

The English summer of 1954 was dull and wet, but from a cricketing perspective, it was a historic one for the newcomers in Test cricket. They charmed the English crowd with their charisma and reminded them again of how uncertain this game of cricket can be!

Two years ago, cricket’s higher authorities had decided to award Pakistan the Test status. Their Test journey started with a series defeat against India, but players like Hanif Mohammad, Imtiaz Ahmed, Mahmood Hussain, Shujauddin and Fazal Mahmood were extremely promising and gave Pakistan plenty of hope for the future.

In 1954, the Pakistan team toured England to play a four-match Test series. The English cricket team during the 50s were among the top sides in world cricket. They were boasting with players like Len Hutton, Peter May, Denis Compton, Trevor Bailey, Statham, Alec Bedsar, Godfrey Evans and Frank Tyson. For a newcomer in Test cricket, such players were expected to give the visitors enough torrid times and Pakistan’s English summer had been quite poor till the Oval Test match.

The first Test at Lord’s was drawn while the second Test at Trent Bridge belonged to England as the Pakistanis were thrashed comprehensively. England had won the Test match by a margin of an innings and 129 runs. The third Test at Manchester was ruined by rain. Pakistan’s batting in all the three Test matches had been a sorry tale and critics started questioning about Pakistan’s eligibility as a Test team.

The fourth Test match was at the Oval. England cemented two fast bowlers for the game, Frank Tyson and Peter Loader and rested Alec Bedsar and Trevor Bailey keeping in mind the upcoming Australian tour. Early morning rain delayed the start of play. The match started at 2:30 pm. Pakistan captain Abdul Hafeez Kardar had thought that the track might not have the kind of versatility during the afternoon time and the batsmen might just find it easier enough to cash in. But it was not to be.

The Oval track still had enough life in it. The ball jagged around and the English pacers ripped through the heart of Pakistan’s batting line-up. Brian Statham, Frank Tyson and Peter Loader were sharp and fast and jolted the Pakistani top order.

Hanif Mohammad and Maqsood Ahmed went for a duck while Alimuddin and Waqar Hasan were dismissed cheaply and Wazir Mohmmad too departed without opening his account. Only Imtiaz Ahmed and Abdul Hafeez Kardar could withstand the fury of Statham, Tyson and Loader. At lunch Pakistan were left reeling at 51 for 7.

After tea, the Pakistani tail put up a brave show. Shujauddin. spinner Zulfiqur Ahmed and pace bowler Mahmood Hussain occupied the crease for a brief period and chipped in with useful runs to give the Pakistani total some respectability. Ultimately, Pakistan were all out for 133 runs.

England’s first innings also wasn’t chummy at all. Fazal Mahmood and Mahmood Hussain rocked the English batting line-up with some effective disciplined bowling. As John Arlott said, “Fazal Mahmood and Mahmood Hussain could barely believe their luck; unused to such conditions in their own country, they had only to bowl a length and the pitch did the rest.”

Mahmood Hussain found the edge of RT Simpson early while Fazal removed the skipper Len Hutton. Denis Compton tried to provide stability with a defiant 53 but the rest of the English batsmen couldn’t provide him the able support as Fazal and Mahmood Hussain run amok through the English batting line-up. England were all out for 130 runs. Pakistan had gained a three-run lead.

Fazal Mahmood, who bowled long spells, picked up six wickets (6 for 53) while Mahmood Hussain bagged four scalps (4 for 58). Fazal Mahmood was unlucky not to bag more wickets in the first innings as three catches were dropped in the slips.

The start of Pakistan’s second innings was cautious. Shujauddin opened with Hanif Mohammad and were looking composed enough. But it didn’t last long. Wardle removed both Hanif and Shujauddin and suddenly Pakistan collapsed to 82-8. A gutsy stand of 58 runs for the ninth wicket between Wazir Mohammad and Zulfiqur Ahmed helped Pakistan to get past 150 in the second innings.

Pakistan were all out for 164 in their second innings and gave England a target of 168 in the fourth innings. The English spinner, Wardle finished with figures of 7 for 56 on an Oval track which was drying up and started to prove helpful for the spinners.

With batsmen like Len Hutton, Peter May, Denis Compton and Godfrey Evans around, chasing down 168 was not expected to give England any headaches. But Fazal Mahmood was in no mood to leave England in a disgraceful manner.

Fazal Mahmood accounted for the scalp of Len Hutton early. He was caught behind by the wicketkeeper Imtiaz Ahmed. RT Simpson and Peter May batted with much authority and essayed a 51-run partnership for the second wicket. Zulfiqur Ahmed broke the partnership by dismissing RT Simpson. Denis Compton joined Peter May and added valuable 43 runs for the third wicket.

At 109 for 3, England were well poised and scripting a win was just a matter of time. Pakistan needed someone to essay a miracle and the tall, dashing pace bowler from Lahore did dish out a staggering spell of pace-bowling to leave everyone clueless.

Abdul Hafeez Kardar brought on Fazal Mahmood. Immediately, Peter May was removed by Fazal. Kardar took May’s catch and he walked towards the pavilion after scoring 53 runs. Len Hutton sent Godfrey Evans ahead of TW Graveney presumably in the hope of finishing the game within day four. But Evans’s stay was cut short by a beauty of a delivery from Fazal. TW Graveney came into bat and lasted for just eight minutes as he was trapped lbw by Shujauddin.

But at the other end, Dennis Compton was steady enough and England’s hopes rested on his shoulders, but his further progression was ended by a Fazal Mahmood vicious leg-cutter which Compton touched and was caught behind by Imtiaz Ahmed. The fourth day ended with England needing 47 runs more and Pakistan four more wickets.

The match went into the fifth and final day.

On the final day, a large number of Pakistanis were present at the Oval to support their team. The atmosphere at the Oval was electrifying and festive – Oval had become a Lahore and Karachi cricket stadium.

The pair of Frank Tyson and JH Wardle weren’t comfortable enough against the Pakistani pacers. Both Tyson and Wardle were removed by Fazal while Mahmood Hussain dismissed Loader and Pakistan were just one wicket away from scripting one of the most astonishing wins ever in the history of Test cricket. Then Hanif Mohammad ran out McConnon and Pakistan had turned the world upside down by snatching a victory from the jaws of defeat. Fazal Mahmood finished with figures of 6 for 46. His overall match figures had been 12 for 99.

A vociferous Pakistani crowd greeted their team, especially Fazal Mahmood, with enormous cheer. A terrible English summer for Pakistan ended up with an eye-popping and hair-raising finish and it was all possible due to the Herculean bowling performance of Fazal Mahmood. Certainly, cricket is a game of glorious uncertainty.