Interesting thread. I'll give it a shot.
The match will take place between India and Pakistan
[just has to be]. It will be played at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore - the leading cricket stadium in Pakistan
[60000 capacity]. All five days have been sold out and this match is the talk of the town as most encounters between the two sides are. Cricinfo has a whole page worth of Sehwag and Tendulkar specials and PP members are irate about this.
Its finally match day. The talk will cease and the action will begin under the sweltering
Lahori sun. The captains for both sides
[Imran Khan and Kapil Dev] are out in the middle and will be participating in the pre-match formalities
[toss etc.]. The toss is won by Pakistan and they have decided to bat first as expected in Lahore. Analysts are claiming the pitch will have a bit in it for the seamers at the beginning.
Day 1: The match has begun with Kapil Dev bowling to Saeed Anwar. Saeed Anwar has executed three brilliant square cuts and the crowd is going bonkers. Zaheer Khan is sharing the new ball with Kapil Dev and he is getting it to boomerang around. He beats Aamir Sohail's bat a couple of times and ultimately destroys his off stump. The match is at a fascinating point with Pakistan on 30/1.
The match continues to progress on day 1. Saeed Anwar departs a little while later as he continued his belligerent approach. He has played a rash shot and its gone instantly to first slip where Mohammad Azharuddhin is standing. Younus Khan and Javed Miandad manage to salvage the advantage and commence pushing the pace of the match. Indian spinners
[Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble] attempt to slow things down, but they can't seem to.
Pakistan appears to have things going efficiently until Younus Khan and Javed Miandad depart after the mandatory tea break. The score is now 220/4. Zaheer Khan is bowling a respectable spell and is the only one picking up wickets on this flat
ish track. The Indians are once again fired up after picking up those wickets; Inzamam Ul Haq and Mohammad Yousuf see out the remaining portion of the day. The final score on day 1 is - 280/4.
Day 2: The second day begins with an absolutely shocking collapse by Pakistan. This was expected from Pakistan as these collapses have become well ingrained into their cricketing psyche. The sledging has become intense from the Indians and the only man still fighting out there with the bat is Imran Khan. He bats well with the tail enders and pushes the team's score past 400. However, he falls to Anil Kumble straight one and that is the end of his resistance. Pakistan's final score in the first innings is 410 all out.
India are now coming out to bat. They will be chasing a hefty score, but with their batting resources; the confidence is still high amongst the ranks. This is the battle everyone wishes to see in Lahore;
Pakistani pacers vs India's batting lineup. The two batsmen coming out to bat are Virender Sehwag and Sunil Gavaskar. Two contrasting approaches to batting, but they will surely get the blood pumping for both sides. They face the finest bowling pair of all time - Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis first up. Wasim Akram has no trouble beating the bat, but its Waqar Younus' stunning yorkers that dismantle Gavaskar and Dravid. India are reeling at 13/2, but Sachin Tendulkar is out there in the middle with Virender Sehwag.
Sachin Tendulkar is going all guns blazing. He is carting around the Pakistani bowlers. No one is being spared not Wasim, not Waqar and not even Imran Khan. This is frustrating Imran Khan, but he has a spearhead up his sleeves. This spearhead is none other than the fastest bowler on the planet - Shoaib Akhtar. The battle between the fiery quickie and the two batsmen is a prolonged one and it continues throughout the day. However, India have now reached 200/2 and the partnership is blooming. India is starting to get comfortable.
Day 3: Imran Khan has toiled over potential tactics he could employ to dismantle this partnership. He has attempted to utilize Abdul Qadir, but he can't do much due to minimal turn from the track. Shoaib Akhtar is buoyant and Imran notices this and tosses him the ball. Akhtar in a moment's notice is back under Sehwag's ear. They are continuously sledging each other - something about "baap" and "betas". That doesn't last long as Akhtar first gets Tendulkar with a tremendous bouncer that he can't do much about and then he gets Sehwag with a supreme yorker.
The bowling comeback continues as Akhtar is now on a steamroll. Wasim, Waqar and Imran Khan have been sidelined as mere spectators as we witness an inhumane spell from Akhtar where he blows the Indian lineup away. The Indian batting lineup has completely folded in front of the Rawalpindi Express and they have been bundled out for 380. Pakistan go into the second innings with a 30 runs lead. Nothing special, but a lead is a lead.
The openers come out to bat the last session of the day. The Pakistan camp realizes they will need ample time to bowl out the Indian batting lineup once again and quick batting is required. Imran Khan orders his openers to play in an attacking fashion. They obliges as they cart the Indian bowlers around the park and have fought all the way to 100/0 before stumps.
Day 4: This could be the day fortunes turn around for both teams. India realizes they require wickets to be taken otherwise this could get ugly. The track has now cracked up and the Indian spinners could weave their magic out there. They do exactly this. Anil Kumble starts going on a tear and has the Pakistani batsmen whiffing at thin air. He traps both Aamir Sohail and Saeed Anwar plumb in front of the stumps and has them sent packing by Simon Taufel.
The pressure is maintained and Younus Khan departs, as well. Kapil Dev has been plugging along attempting to get wickets and has proven to be quite ineffective until his second spell on day 4. His first over is a menacing one where he beats Miandad's bat six out of six times. Dev is fuming now as he can't believe his bad luck. His luck changes in the next over as he rips out the Pakistani middle order. First he sends Miandad's off stump cartwheeling and a few deliveries later its Yousuf's leg stump.
Imran Khan and Inzamam Ul Haq are now batting out there against a once again fired up Indian attack. Pakistan is at 230/5. Pakistan is still feeling slightly comfortable with their position, but realize they require a few more runs. Harbhajan Singh has other things on his mind as he picks up both Inzi and Imran in successive deliveries. He is spinning the ball big time and its getting ugly for the Pakistani batsmen. Singh is on a hat trick and he faces Wasim Akram who has just walked in. The Lahori crowd is stunned at the proceedings and are wishing the hat trick doesn't occur; their wish is not to be. Wasim's off stump is rattled as the doosra rips past his outside edge. He simply hangs his head and trudges off. The remaining portion of Pakistan's line-up is skittled out easily and Pakistan have produced a lead of 280.
Indian openers bat out the remaining potion of the day and end at 50/0.
Day 5: Who will win?! India requires another 230 runs in 90 overs; Pakistan requires 10 wickets. A winner is bound to be found, but who will it be? India's batting vs Pakistan's bowling - this is what its come down to. The series had three tests and the first two were drawn. This is the last test and whoever wins this takes the series and the cup.
Pakistan decide to not show up mentally and see Sehwag and Gavaskar blast them to all parts. India is now at 150/0 and Pakistan is almost completely out of it. The Lahori crowd is still sitting around, but the noise is at an absolute minimal. Libraries produce more excitement than can be heard at the Gadaffi stadium. Abdul Qadir is still not giving up and he manages to pry the wickets of both openers in quick succession. All of a sudden Sachin Tendulkar plays a rash shot and he is sent packing to the wily spin of Qadir. The googly is doing wonders. India goes into team needing 50 more runs with 7 wickets to spare. Surely, an easy chase?!
Imran Khan gives a resounding pep talk to his lads during tea break. He doesn't mind losing, but he wants to see his lads fight till the end. This is what test cricket is all about for him - team spirit. This is what he wants to see and he won't have anything else from his team.
Imran Khan opens the bowling himself after tea. No one has ever seen a spell of fast bowling as the one Lahore witnesses that day. Imran Khan blows the Indian batting lineup out of the water. Six deliveries and six wickets. Imran Khan has bowled the finest test over of all time. Kapil Dev has his head in his hands. He can't believe what he has just seen. His team has capitulated and now required 50 runs with 1 wicket.
The battle is not over. The last pair of batsmen - Zaheer Khan and Anil Kumble continue prodding along. They won't quit knowing the circumstances surrounding the match and they manage to take it down to 10 runs required. Everyone is on the edge of their seats. The ball is tossed to Mohammad Yousuf. Its an unbelievable move by Imran Khan. Everyone is scratching their heads. No one can believe what he's doing, but Imran hasn't flinched even though his teammates are questioning his wisdom. Yousuf ambles in and bowls - VOILA! The wicket is his as he gets Zaheer Khan to scoop the ball up to cover and its over. Pakistan win.
The greatest test ever has just been played. 
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) would probably a controversial POTW, I am sure Afridi fans wont enjoy it
