By Amir Hussain (11th November 2012)

When legends roamed the fields of the NSK...read our very own writer's first-hand account of the Pakistan vs India test of 1978.

There was something about Karachi of the 70s. There was so much hope in the air. Yes we were recovering from the events of ’71 and our politics was as muddy as ever – infact we even had our first Martial Law in many years imposed on us by the Late Zia-ul-Haq! But as a young man in school, the world offered limitless possibilities. I dreamt of being a pilot, a soldier, a doctor and yes, even a star cricketer! The last choice seemed to offer almost everything one could want - fame, money and an army of adoring fans. In Pakistan of that day, cricketers were people we all looked up to.

You see in those days you really didn’t know much about the personal lives of cricketers or how they behaved when not on the field. One’s only connection with them was through what you heard on crackling radio transmissions or fuzzy black and white “Live Via Satellite” pictures. Each of the superstars of that era looked larger than life. They were a perfect, immortal collection of super-humans. Like every other schoolboy of that age, I too wanted to score runs like Majid Khan or walk to the middle in times of crisis a-la Asif Iqbal, or take those quick singles that Javed Miandad perfected. If they all failed, I’d want to lead the fightback in the field and be speed demon Imran Khan, blowing away the opposition batsmen for fun!

Schoolboy dreams apart, I really didn’t have much to do with cricket – apart from some backyard cricket with some school mates, my cricketing skills (as they do today) did not warrant any real hope of future success. My interest in cricket would have stayed that way, until in 1978, Bishen Singh Bedi brought a team of Indian stars to Pakistan to play Test and One Day games. Whilst I was aware of the importance of these games, little did I know the effect they would have on my love for this game.

My father was not an avid cricket fan but was, in simple words, a patriot. Anything that made Pakistan famous had his attention so it was no surprise when he heard that India were in his town of Karachi, he immediately made plans to watch this game with me. Given school schedules and finances at the time, the real question was which day to watch this game – the answer became clearer as the match commenced.

The 3rd Test in Karachi was an important game for both sides. Both sides had drawn the first game in Faisalabad. Pakistan had won the 2nd Test in Lahore by 8 wickets. This was a must win game for the Indian superstars. A team that boasted veritable legends of the game in its ranks – the likes of Sunil Gavaskar, Vishwanath, the Amarnath brothers, Kirmani and the Kings of Spin in the shape of Captain Bishen Bedi and Chandrasekar - accompanied by a new talent by the name of Kapil Dev was not going to just accept a loss to arch rivals Pakistan without a fight.

The Pakistani camp which stood between India and an ignominious defeat on foreign soil was a who’s who of legends. Mushtaq Mohammed, Zaheer Abbas, Majid Khan, Asif Iqbal, Javed Miandad, Imran Khan, Wasim Bari and Sarfraz Nawaz stood eye to eye with their Indian counterparts. It appeared that the Gods of Cricket had descended from the skies above and were preparing to do a battle to the end at the National Stadium in Karachi.

The game began on the 14th of November with India batting themselves into what looked like a comfortable first innings total of 344. As one would expect from Tendulkar today, Sunil Gavaskar opened the innings and duly scored Nelson - 111. The score wasn’t huge but could Pakistan outscore India here? They did just that. A superior all round batting performance by the team and a century by the young Javed Miandad saw Pakistan end their first innings with a lead of 137 runs.

By the end of the 4th day (we did had rest days in those days!), a result was looking difficult but this much was clear – if there was to be a winner it would be Pakistan. India thus ending Day four on 131/2 with the indomitable batting legend, Sunil Gavaskar, comfortably ensconced on 67 not out and the stage set for a gripping finale.

My father and I showed up on the morning of the 19th November, 1978 at the National Stadium Karachi. An air of expectancy hung over the stadium as we took our seats amongst a group of enthusiastic supporters of all ages. My eyes immediately searched for the players – our heroes as well as the Indian legends that were gracing the hallowed grounds of the NSK.

They were all there, going through their practice drills before the start of the day. That picture rests in my head to this very day. How lucky was I to be watching all of them on the field. No loud music, no cheerleaders, no videos of fans on big screens or even large cuddly toys to entertain us all. The sight of the greats of our game going about their business with a single minded determination to succeed for their respective nations was greater entertainment than any gimmicks of today. They didn't just grace the field of play, they glided on it with majestic powers. If this was cricket heaven, I was there. Even at that young age (no guessing pls) I knew that I was witnessing something special here - something I would tell my children about one day.

The details of what transpired later in the day almost seem irrelevant – what mattered to me was the intensity of the battle. From Imran running up to deliver beauty after beauty, to Gavaskar’s second century of the game, there were plenty of memorable moments. Surinder Amarnath being run out and the run chase by Majid, Asif and Miandad to Imran Khan coming in and delivering some lusty blows (as veteran commentator Ifitkhar Ahmad would say) to seal the game for Pakistan. The result almost paled into insignificance. For the record, Pakistan won the game and the series in Karachi. 

Fast forward to today, another India-Pakistan encounter looms ahead. There aren’t too many players on either side (barring Sachin) who we could term as legends, but the original legends of yesteryear will be there to witness this series due to commence in a couple of months.

As their names are spoken about or written in the media, I for one will sit there with misty eyes thinking about a bygone era, where true greats of the game walked onto the field of play at NSK. The passion to win and their sheer professionalism coupled with the raw skills on display is something I will treasure forever. I write this as some of those faces stare back at me from PakPassion’s latest tribute background and as the two teams of today step on the field on Christmas Day in Bangalore, let us spare a thought for the true legends of this game. Some are no longer with us today, but they made this game what it is. Let the games begin!