On This Day - Mar 22, 1985: Imran Khan registers his best bowling figures in ODIs, 6/14 vs India

[A-1]

Few would dispute that Imran was the finest cricketer Pakistan has produced, or the biggest heartthrob. Suave, erudite and monstrously talented, he gave cricket in the subcontinent real sex appeal in the 1970s and 1980s. As such he and TV completed the popularisation of the game in his country which Hanif Mohammad and the radio had begun. Thousands, if not millions, who had never dreamt of bowling fast on heartless baked mud suddenly wanted to emulate Imran and his lithe bounding run, his leap and his reverse-swinging yorker. He also made himself into an allrounder worth a place for his batting alone, and captained Pakistan as well as anyone, rounding off his career with the 1992 World Cup. He played hardly any domestic cricket in Pakistan: instead he just flew in for home series from Worcestershire or Sussex, or rather from the more fashionable London salons. His averages (37 with the bat, 22 with the ball) put him at the top of the quartet of allrounders (Ian Botham, Richard Hadlee and Kapil Dev being the others) who dominated Test cricket in the 1980s. And whereas Botham declined steadily, Imran just got better and better: in his last 10 years of international cricket he played 51 Tests, averaging a sensational 50 with the bat and 19 with the ball. He gave no quarter during some memorable battles with West Indies - Pakistan drew three series with them at a time when everybody else was being bounced out of sight - and he led Pakistan to their first series victory in England in 1987, taking 10 for 77 with an imperious display in the decisive victory at Headingley. After retirement he remained a high-profile figure, with his marriage - and subsequent split with - the socialite Jemima Goldsmith and a not entirely successful move into the labyrinthine world of Pakistan politics.
Martin Williamson

Match in Discussion:
http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/65732.html

 

[Gotham Cronie]

Pakistan all out for 87 chasing 126.

So these collapses were happening before I started watching cricket too I see.

 

[Khabri420]

Here is a brief interview by Richie Benaud with Imran Khan and highlights of his 6-14

[utube]woKB41AtoHE[/utube]

Video is from robelinda

 

[saiyan0312]

imran khan bowled a legendary spell and its still our best bowling figures against india in ODI. However again on that day our batting let us down... 28 years later, nothing changed

 

[jeetu]

I didn't get the chance to watch that match but i saw highlights and is chronicled pretty well inGavaskar's book "One Day Wonders". Indian batting was on a high after beating Pakistan in Champions Trophy just few days back in Australia in a one way final. Imran came and decimated Indian batting in legendary spell. This match was first Ind-Pak match at Sharjah.

 

[IndianWillow]

I watched part of this match live. I was at school, heard that India had collapsed in the morning due to Imran's fiery spell. I came home for lunch with no great mood to watch but as I was preparing to leave for school I think Pakistan had slipped to 5/40. I never went back to school in the afternoon.

 

[cricketjoshila]

Siva bowled like Warne that day.Kapil was excellent as well.But the Indian bowling was a team effort.

IK ran through India like a Hot Knife in Butter.

 

[sohaib anwer]

looks fit enuff, i can see his abs

 

[Abdullah719]

All out for 87 chasing 126

 

[Junaids]

Imran Khan had had stress fractures in his shins since early 1983.

He had played the June 1983 World Cup as a batsman, and when he bowled off a few paces for Sussex a couple of months later he reopened his fractures.

Pakistan then fared horribly in Australia under Zaheer Abbas, and again Imran had to return as a batsman for the Fourth and Fifth Tests.

He then missed the 1984 English season (in which the West Indies blackwashed England), and signed up to play the 1984-85 Sheffield Season for New South Wales.

Finally he came back as a bowler, and he taught Geoff Lawson and Mike Whitney how to bowl reverse swing.

He returned as a bowler to international cricket for the 1985 Mini World Cup in Melbourne, along with Wasim Akram who had just taken 10 wickets in his second Test, in New Zealand.

And so this performance marked the start of a decade and a half of Pakistan having a superb pace attack.

 

[Saj]

35 years on but still great to watch.

 

[Asifnow]

Man that's fun to watch, you can see the Indian batsmen look worried. Genuine pace and just a hint if movement.

Also the action, I always feel watching imran that he had to put real effort into his bowling. Like he said, he was never a natural quick and you dont see the effortlessness of holding, Marshall, akram or more recently Archer. Yet he surpassed many of them through sheer persistence.

 

[SensiblePakFan]

Good old days, whites for everyone.

 

[jeetu]

It wasa crazy low scoring match. Indian side in ODI was hitting its peak after pretty much demolishing every team few days back in B&H 85 cup. Imran just tore through a great batting lineup in form. Shashi was MOS in B&H, got golden duck courtesy of Imran.
It still remains top bowling performance in losing cause.

 

[sweep_shot]

Great bowling performance.

Good old Sharjah days.