The Akmal factor, and benign Mohali

A statistical look at the fifth day's play at Mohali

12-Mar-2005

Kamran AKmal: joining a select band of Pakistani wicketkeepers to score a Test hundred © Getty Images

The 184-run partnership between Kamran Akmal and Abdul Razzaq is the highest seventh-wicket stand for Pakistan against India. The earlier record had been held by Imran Khan and Ijaz Faqih, who had added 154 at Ahmedabad As on this occasion, there was a maiden hundred for a player then too - Faqih's 105 was his first Test century, and it turned out to be his only three-figure knock in the five Tests he played. The partnership is also the third-highest for the seventh wicket for Pakistan against any team. The record remains with Waqar Hasan and Imtiaz Ahmed, who added a phenomenal 308 runs against New Zealand at Lahore in 1955-56, while Yousuf Youhana and Saqlain Mushtaq put together 248, also against New Zealand, at Christchurch in 2000-01.

Kamran Akmal also became the fifth wicketkeeper to score a Test hundred for Pakistan. The four others are Taslim Arif, Imtiaz Ahmed, Moin Khan and Rashi Latif. Moin achieved the feat four times, while Imtiaz did it thrice.

There used to be a time when Mohali was known for a quick track which helped fast bowlers Not any longer though. This was the fourth drawn match in the last five games, and in each of those four games, one of the teams has scored in excess of 500 in an innings. There have also been 14 hundreds in those four matches - Mohali, quite clearly, is fast gaining a reputation for being a batsman-friendly venue. (Click here for a list of all Tests played at Mohali.)

The Indians had little to celebrate on the last day, but one of the more memorable moments of the final day came when Anil Kumble stretched to his left to bring off a fine one-handed catch to dismiss Mohammad Sami. It gave him his 450th Test wicket, making him the first Indian bowler, and the fifth overall, to get to the mark - only Muralitharan, Warne, Walsh and McGrath have a higher Test tally. And the rate at which he's been nailing them suggests that he might yet have a few more in his kitty by the time he calls it quits - his last 100 have taken him just 17 games, while his last 50 came in a mere eight. (Click here for the list of highest wicket-takers in Tests.)

For two other Indian bowlers, this was a Test match of contrasting fortunes. Both Zaheer Khan and Lakshmipathy Balaji had played at this venue once before, against New Zealand in 2003-04, and both had returned wicketless. This time, while Balaji reaped a rich harvest of nine wickets, Zaheer only had one to show for his efforts, giving him rather unflattering Mohali figures of 1 for 258 from 65 largely fruitless overs.

S Rajesh is assistant editor of Cricinfo. For some of the data he was helped by Binoy in Cricinfo's Chennai office.

Lakshmipathy Balaji Zaheer Khan Anil Kumble Abdul Razzaq Kamran Akmal Pakistan India India vs Pakistan Pakistan tour of India