On This Day: December 1, 1996 - Mohammad Zahid took 11 wickets on his Test debut

[dhump]

Debut Test Match Report

Pakistan struck back to draw the series an hour after lunch on the fourth day. The Test occupied only 258.4 overs, though the opening day saw several hold-ups. One was caused by sunlight dazzling the batsmen after tea, another, more conventionally, by bad light, but the oddest occurred at the start, when play was delayed 20 minutes because the Pakistan Cricket Board had forgotten to supply balls. The match eventually got under way using a ball bought from a local sports shop. The home attack also seemed a touch makeshift; with Waqar Younis joining the injury list, the three pace bowlers started with eight Test caps between them. But 20-year-old Mohammad Zahid rose triumphantly to the occasion, becoming the first Pakistani to take ten wickets in his first Test and finishing with 11 for 130, the seventh-best analysis by any Test debutant. He seized seven wickets as New Zealand's second innings collapsed from 82 without loss to 168 all out. Complementing his efforts, spinner Mushtaq Ahmed claimed eight, taking his haul in his last eight Tests to 63.

Zahid struck early on the first day, trapping Vaughan and Parore lbw, while Young gave Mushtaq his 100th wicket in his 26th Test. That was another lbw: there were to be 13 in this match, following 15 at Lahore. New Zealand stumbled to 111 for seven but, by tea, Fleming and Germon had launched a recovery. They put on 81, Fleming hitting 11 fours in 67, and Germon batted into the next day, when he reached a maiden Test fifty.

With Patel's help, New Zealand managed to reach 249. But the home side wiped that out with only one wicket down. Acting-captain Saeed Anwar and Ijaz Ahmed both scored centuries in a stand of 262, easily Pakistan's best for any wicket against New Zealand. Ijaz made 125, including 19 fours and a six, and was fined half his match fee for dissent when Cairns had him lbw; Cairns himself incurred a similar fine when a later appeal was rejected. Anwar, who had been dropped behind the wicket on 115, proceeded to 149 the next day. He was eventually caught at long leg, with Inzamam-ul-Haq following one run later. But Salim Malik and night-watchman Mushtaq, who scored a Test-best 42, advanced the score to 375 before the last six fell for 55.

New Zealand trailed by 181, but openers Young and Vaughan survived the last session and took their partnership to 82 in the morning before Vaughan was lbw to Zahid. That opened the floodgates: only Young, who batted for 174 minutes, could defy Zahid's blistering pace. He took five for 47 in 11 overs as the tourists struggled to 137 for six by lunch; he completed his work when he dismissed Patel, also lbw, 53 minutes after the interval.

Career Stats:

PakPassion Interview:
http://www.pakpassion.net/articles/pakistan_cricket_mohammad_zahid_100mph_bowler_fastest_ever

Glimpse of his Bowling

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[Watsupdoc]

Some say Zahid was the fastest bowler ever. We wouldn't know for sure, but had it not been for injuries, he would have surely had a long career for Pakistan.

 

[Abdullah719]

Would've been a lethal bowler if he played for a substantial number of games.

 

[Savak]

He only played a few matches, sure he had real pace but he blew hot and cold for the most part and was inconsistent, his bowling action was very demanding, if only he had received good nutritional, fitness advice, the services of a personal trainer to help him put on muscle and to protect his back, but even then there is no guarantee he would have remained injury free.