This is a match report of India v Pakistan Third Test Match Bombay December 1979. India forged ahead in their series against Pakistan with a most emphatic win in the third Test in Bombay. It was gained in four days, with 131 runs separating the sides. The last time India beat their neighbors was 27 years and 17 Test matches previously. The issue was settled primarily by the toss, which India won for the first time in the series. The ball turned even on the first day and Pakistan, whose morale was already at low ebb after Imran Khan Breakdown on the first day, were totally overawed by the ordeal of having to bat last.
But Pakistan’s wickets were by no means monopolized by the spinners. The tourist was bowled out for a mere 173 runs in the first innings. Right-arm medium-fast bowler Roger Binny, took three of the first four wickets, while in the second Karsan Ghavri and Kapil Dev had made considerable inroads before the spinners came into the act.
For India, the critical day was the first, when they seemed to have cast away the advantage of batting first on a bare, mottled pitch that left no doubt about the turbulence to come. Sunil Gavaskar, a victim of a ball that stopped, and Chetan Chauhan were both out for 31. Then, following an 80-run partnership for the third wicket between Dilip Vengsarkar and Gandpa Viswanath, India slumped again — to 129 for 5, with all the main batsmen gone.
At 154, they lost Dilip Vengsarkar, who had batted stoically for almost four hours for 48. His was the fourth consecutive wicket to fall to Iqbal Qasim. The ball turned, but India ended the day on a happier note, thanks to an unfinished partnership of 78 between Syed Kirmani and a belligerent Kapil Dev, who reports on the third, fourth, and fifth Tests Vengsarkar a victim of spin on the first day. Below: Second-innings failure by Zaheer Abbas made 57 of these runs in 67 minutes off 49 balls.
The next presented Pakistan with an opportunity to morning, the new ball check this recovery, but they were handicapped by Imran Khan’s inability to bowl. Kirmani and Dev did not add substantially, but they stayed long enough to dull the shine on the ball, and then Karsan Ghavri, with the help of Shivlal Yadav and Doshi, steered India to a respectable total of 334. Sikander Bakhat took 5 for 55 and Iqbal Qasim 4 for 135 were the main wicket-takers for Pakistan. However, much the same Pakistan side that India could not bowl out even once in last year’s series was routed. Of the six batsmen dismissed for 112 before the end of the second day, five got out to indiscreet shots.
Only Wasim Raja was beaten, by Doshi’s arm ball. Pakistan lost seven wickets before the follow-on was averted and then the earlier batting was put in perspective by a sound innings by Abdul Qadir. Without his effort and the staunch support from Wasim Bari, Pakistan would have been left with a much bigger deficit. India was in a sound enough position at the end of the third day, having scored 117 for 3, Dilip Vengsarkar unbeaten with 42.
But they lost wickets quickly in trying to force the pace and were all out for the addition of 48in a further 100 minutes on the fourth morning. Again, India’s lack of expertise in scoring quickly was laid bare as Qasim took five wickets in 27 balls for only three runs. Pakistan was left to get 322 in 580 minutes — by some coincidence, exactly the same amount of time that India had available to make 390 in the previous Test.
Majid Khan, Mudassar Nazar, and Zaheer Abbas were gone for only 41, a situation in which Sunil Gavaskar needed to give no thought to saving runs. At 48, Wasim Raja got out to an astounding third-slip catch by Dilip Vengsarkar, and at 84 Asif Iqbal, who was playing in a manner befitting a captain, got an unplayable ball from Duleep Doshi, one that turned and lifted.
Javed Miandad, with an admirable blend of defense and improvised attacking shots, made 64 in 139 minutes, and while he and Imran put on 61 for the sixth wicket, the Indians must have been briefly worried. But Imran and Bari were out in rapid succession and the only open question now was whether Pakistan could carry the struggle into the last day. Abdul Qadir made a brief 15 runs in the end.
