The results of the Australia v Pakistan Third Test at Sydney 1976–77 surprised everyone in the world. This is Pakistan’s first Test win here, made more memorable by a quick bowler, Imran Khan, entering the front rank, a second century by vice-captain Asif Iqbal, and the debut of a batsman, Haroon Rashid, who promises to give cricket-goers pleasure wherever he goes.
Imran Khan’s 12 wickets in a match (6 for 102 and 6 for 63), equaling the best for Pakistan on turf, left Sydney admiring his line and marveling at his stamina. The busiest ball-polisher in the series, Imran stained the left seat of his flannels almost strawberry shade while polishing off six Australians for 102 in a first inning of 211. The marvelous outcutters yielded catches from Chappell’s forward defense and Walters’ back foot.
Gary Cosier’s 50 came off 11 overs. In Imran’s ninth over, four consecutive balls streaked through or over the fence. Two brief spells (three overs each) were the former Oxford captain’s only breaks in 24 eight-ball overs on the first day. From 159 for 9, Dennis Lillee and Max Walker raised the total to 211. Imran bounced balls at 6 feet 3 inches Max Walker when he was 28 and 31.
After M.H.N. Walker ducked his head from the second, umpire Ledwidge warned Imran under the tour rule that at no time should a short-pitched ball be directed at a non-recognized batsman (already the subject of cautions to Lillee by umpire Bailhache in Adelaide and umpire Brooks in Melbourne). Adjudged lbw to Javed Miandad after batting two hours, Lillee stepped further outside his off stump and shook the ball out of his left pad flap. It transpired that a touch against his glove deflected it there. Who’d be a cricket umpire?
Two sharp-rising balls brought catches from Sadiq and Zaheer off Lillee. After trying to hook a Lillee bouncer, Majid seemingly felt his five-year-old sun hat was failing as a talisman after 1600 runs. He handed it to Lillee, who gave it to an umpire. But after one more ball, Majid reclaimed it. Its brim may be limp, but that could never be said of Majid’s cricket. He made 48, fourth out at 111 off 23 overs.
Entering at 77 for 3 to face Lillee, Haroon suffered the indignity of slipping on his rump and avoiding a bouncer. Otherwise, sure footwork puts him in a good position for attractive shots. Like Alvin Kallicharran, he thinks a cap is redundant for a full-mopped player. Ex-captain Lindsay Hassett broadcast: ‘A man who can succeed on this wicket has a future.’ Haroon Rashid stands erect, drives with full-bladed confidence, and fields superbly. Prior evidence of his talent had been seen in 123 not out against Queensland, his only other innings in Australia. In Brisbane, he raised 100 with a Barrington-like on-drive for six.
As a partner of Majid Khan and Asif Iqbal, Haroon Rasheed contributed 57 to the stands that added 128. Drives of hand-bruising strength put Pakistan ahead, bringing Asif 15 fours in 120 off 211 balls, the only player to make two hundred in the series and six in Tests. Selectors’ reward for retaining faith in Javed Miandad after a horror stretch was seeing him make 64, though 46 of them were in a quick-running sixth-wicket stand of 115 with Kent’s new captain.
After a short-pitched ball struck Sarfraz’s fingers, causing him to drop his bat, umpire Ledwidge spoke to Lillee. In 20 overs, Sarfraz and Imran converted Australia’s 149 leeway into a plight. Greg Chappell edged an out cutter to Wasim, whose gloves and a wide dive to the leg got Walters attention. Under a top-edge hook by Gary Gilmour off Imran Khan, Mushtaq Muhammad called ‘Zaheer Abbas’ to pre-include a catching collision. Bumping the ground made Zaheer’s nose bleed but did not damage his spectacles.
Bouncers were coming along frequently enough for O’Keeffe to go to the nets to have McCosker throw down simulated bumpers at him. Greeted by a couple of bouncers from Imran, who had felled him in Melbourne, Marsh signaled his objection by clapping a glove against his bat each time. After five short-pitched balls in an over, Marsh protested to umpire Brooks. Hill noises suggested that the talkative section of the 32,000 crowd sensed the piquancy of Dennis Lillee objecting to a bouncer from Sarfraz Nawaz at 16 (which brought a warning) and another from Imran at 22. When Imran’s next ball struck him on the left hip and a legside fielder appealed for lbw, Lillee rubbed the spot to show everyone it was too high.
On the last morning, Dennis Lillee, who was running 23 strides, and Max Walker bowled as if believing it was possible to get Pakistan out under 32. Catches mishit by Sadiq Muhammad and Zaheer Abbas made Lillee’s tally 21 wickets in three Tests before a hooked six by Majid Khan did much to clinch Pakistan’s win in the eighth over.
Presenting Imran Khan with Benson & Hedges’ Man-of-the-Match $500, NSWCA president Alan Davidson said his 12 for 165 made one of the most outstanding feats he had seen on the Sydney ground. Imran Khan and Asif Iqbal won two personal awards to one (Lillee in Melbourne). Bowling 98 balls an hour to 97 and scoring 53 per 100 balls to 47, Australia won $12,000 to $10,000 in prize money.
