It was a series which was historic. Pakistan had come to India to play a Test series after 12 years and the hosts had the pressure and expectation to get one over their arch-rivals. India had last beaten Pakistan in a Test series in 1979-80 before this two-match series in India -- the third game belonged to the Asian Test Championship -- and their fans had not forgotten the close defeat to Imran Khan's men in 1986-87. So, Mohammad Azharuddin's team had a point to prove.
The first Test was played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai between January 28 and 31, 1999. Pakistani captain Wasim Akram won the toss and elected to bat on a pitch which had promised a lot of runs.
But, the hosts ensured that they were up to their task as Pakistan were bowled out for 238 runs in less than 80 overs. Anil Kumble took six for 70 while his Karnataka teammate Javagal Srinath picked up three scalps. For the visitors, a couple of half-centuries from Mohammad Yousuf (then Yousuf Youhana) and Moin Khan and a 38 from Akram ensured the team's score went past 200. India began their first innings and were 40 for no loss at stumps. The fans went home happy.
Pakistan's comeback
But Pakistan, as unpredictable as they are, returned in the match the very next day by restricting the hosts to 254, conceding just a 16-run lead. Saqlain Mushtaq ran through the India middle-order, grabbing five wickets, including the prized one of Sachin Tendulkar, who got out to a reckless shot for nought. It was a couple of fifties from Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly that helped the hosts gain that narrow first innings lead.
A crucial Sachin wicket and Prasad's six-for
The lead was nullified in no time by a 141 from Shahid Afridi, who took on the India bowlers when the pitch was tailor-made for batting. Neither Srinath nor Kumble could trouble the batsmen, and Pakistan looked ready to post a big score, when they were cruising at at 139 for two. Tendulkar brought India back with the ball, removing Inzamam-ul-Haq, which ended a partnership of 97 runs with Afridi. India then made a comeback, riding on the back of Venkatesh Prasad's six for 33. It stopped Pakistan from running away with the match, restricting them to 286, while giving India a target of 271 with more than two days to spare. The match was certainly headed towards a win, for which side, though, remained to be seen.
Chasing 271 for victory, it all fell on Tendulkar
India made a horrible start to their chase as both their openers – Sadagoppan Ramesh and VVS Laxman – who had given them a decent beginning in the first innings, were back in the hut with just six runs on the board. In came Tendulkar, looking both to shed the first-innings duck and take his team home, just as he had done at the same ground a year ago against Australia (he smashed an unbeaten 155 in the second innings after getting out for a duck in the first against the Aussies).
Pakistan were in no mood to relent as the teraway quick Waqar Younis was breathing fire after packed off both the openers. With Rahul Dravid accompanying Tendulkar at the crease, India went into stumps on day three at 40 for two, requiring another 231 for victory.
January 31, 1999: The day Tendulkar scripted an epic
The next day was January 31 and today marks the 18th anniversary of that day.
Dravid, "The wall", who was looking solid, was castled by a beauty from Akram in the fourth over of the day and with Azharuddin (7) and Ganguly (2) falling (the latter's dismissal was a controversial one and left him fuming) cheaply, India had lost half their side with just 82 on the board. With Saqlain looking dangerous again, not many were banking on India to win this match. However, as long as Tendulkar was at the crease, India always had a chance – something which had become the mantra for India's success in the 1990s.
Tendulkar decided to take the attack to the bowlers from there on and was given great company by wicketkeeper Nayan Mongia. The duo carried on India's innings on their shoulders for the next 45 overs, defying the spirited Pakistan bowling. The 25-year-old Tendulkar, however, suffered a back strain when he was on 83. Tendulkar, though, fought through the pain, as he pulled and cut at will during his 136-run partnership with Mongia (52) and just when the fans started to feel assured that the Master Blaster was about to bring them yet another stunning victory, Mongia fell to Akram, leaving Sachin to bat with the tail-enders.
Like Gavaskar in 1987, Tendulkar too fell short
Tendulkar, who looked in pain after scoring a scintillating hundred (his 18th in Tests), went on towards the target and added another 36 with left-arm spinner Sunil Joshi. With just 16 required and history waiting to be written, an injured Tendulkar mishit a doosra from Saqlain and Akram made no mistake with the prized catch, throwing Kashmir to Kanyakumari into shocked silence. There were three more wickets to go after him, with India needing just 17 runs, but those wickets they fell for a mere four runs, giving Pakistan a 12-run victory and an unassailable lead in the series. Tendulkar received thunderous applause for his heroic 136 off 273 balls (18x4), but just like Sunil Gavaskar had failed to take India home in his final Test, despite scoring a 96 on a wicket which was no less than a minefield in 1987, the former also fell marginally short.
Tendulkar's game was affected by that injury for some time after the series, but his greatness was not. January 31 remains a date that every Indian cricket-lover still remembers, albeit with a touch of sadness.
India came back strongly in the second Test of the series, played at the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi. Kumble was the main man in that match, with the leg-spinner taking all 10 Pakistan wickets for 74 runs in the second innings of the match, which saw the hosts thrashing their rivals by 212 runs to ensure that the laurels were shared. It was indeed a series filled with great excitement.
