I have been witness to the 5th day of two different test matches recently and can't help but compare todays courageous Australian effort to our teams timid self defeating attempt few days back. Both ending in the loss for the home team but what a difference of approach and mindset.
What happened to the never give up, never give in approach. I'm old enough to remember Salim Maliks one arm defiance against the menacing pace attack of West Indies in a test match in Faisalabad in 1986, coming at No.10 to help Wasim Akram keep the score going. He played for 40 some mins, scored only 3 runs and remained unbeaten, but most importantly, wrecked West Indies psychologically. They got bowled out for only 53 runs handing Pakistan the victory.
This used to be our team. We used to give it all we had back then. Winning or saving a game at our home turf used to be a thing. Playing for our country, especially Test Cricket, used to matter.
Sadly all is gone now. Chasing down a score in the second innings of a Test has become somewhat of a bogeyman for us. We seem bound mentally to a defeatist approach if the game dares to venture into the 5th day. Home ground pride seem to have been traded for feckless immaturity. Forget the ineptness of the regular batsmen on which whole chapters can be dedicated, even the tail enders seem to be in a hurry to not present even a pretense of a fight. Watching Australia's tail give their all felt extra special today. Even though its what all good tails do or at least try to do but it felt that way because we had just witnessed from our own team one of the worst capitulations in the history of a game, and that also only a few days before.
What a stark contrast the two 5th days were. A glaring reminder of how low we have sunk to and how difficult if not impossible it will ever be get over the indignity of that frivolous 2nd innings.
