Resultabad

A quick historical note on Faisalabad, just to be a bit nostalgic. Watching Zaheer Abbas score 176 on television back in 1978 - when India and Pakistan had resumed cricketing ties a mere seven years after the Dacca surrender - was a formative moment in my cricket watching years. The game petered out into a draw, but not before Gavaskar managed to provide heartbreak, dismissing Zaheer for 96, caught by Chauhan! Zaheer remains Gavaskar's only test wicket.

Just to make sure I got my fill, Zaheer obliged in the next test with a sublime 235.

The Faisalabad test ended in a tame draw that time. Heres hoping for a result, with the co-operation of the weather, the pitch, the crowds, captains (former and present), players, umpires, board officials, groundsmen and staff. Thats a whole of lot of coming together required, but I'm optimistic.