When Pakistan pulled off a Pakistan

Exactly a year ago we witnessed one of the best comebacks in Test history.

Pakistan hosted New Zealand for a Test series in the UAE. The first match of the series was played in Abu Dhabi and the drama that unfolded at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium was nerve-racking. This is a story of New Zealand’s closest-ever Test match victory and Pakistan doing what they do best: surprise their own fans.

Your team is 3-130. The target is 176. Just 46 runs away with two of your most experienced batsmen well set. Fans of most teams would be already celebrating the impending victory. But not Pakistani fans.

A wicket falls right at the stroke of lunch. The batsman coming in is probably the best young batsman in the side. He scores ODI hundreds for fun. Abu Dhabi is his territory. The batsman at the other end has more than 5000 Test runs. He has scored a Test triple hundred here. Slow and steady, the score moves to 4-147. Six wickets in hand. Only 29 more to get. Surely now they are home. Right?

Unless Pakistan decides to pull off a Pakistan. And they did in some spectacular fashion.

A needless run-out, a mindless slog and an hour of capitulation under pressure contributed to one of the most exciting come-from-behind victories for the Black Caps. At lunch even the most optimistic of Kiwi supporters would have given Pakistan a clear edge in the contest, but the way the match unfolded in the post-lunch session was like a script made for an edge-of-your-seat thriller.

For all the blame put on Pakistan batsmen for snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, one must not overlook the fact the Kiwis were relentless and capitalised on the smallest of errors made by the opposition. Debutant Ajaz Patel and workhorse Neil Wagner bowled their hearts out to secure the most dramatic victory in New Zealand’s history.

Winning in Asia is tough for foreign teams. Winning after conceding a first-innings lead is even tougher. But the Kiwis showed admirable fight throughout the game and won the key moments of the match. Every time Pakistan seemed to run away with the game New Zealand managed to pull things back their way. It was a great advertisement for Test cricket.

For all those who feel Test cricket is boring, this was a slap in the face. Balance between bat and ball? Check. A close contest? Check. A tight finish? Check. It was truly a nail-bitter.

But for all the accolades deservingly showered upon the Black Caps, the feeling that will forever linger about this match would always be that Pakistan pulled off a Pakistan.