Following the England Test team in the 90s was often a frustrating experience. The first Test of the 1996 series against Pakistan was a perfect example. Having defeated India 1-0 in the first part of the summer, it was obvious that Pakistan would provide a much sterner examination. But England were hardly helped when their preparations were thrown into chaos.
Injuries to Nasser Hussain (two centuries against India) and all-rounder Chris Lewis were disruptive enough. Yet with coach David Lloyd and skipper Michael Atherton attending court in the two days prior to the opening Test during the Ian Botham/Allan Lamb v Imran Khan case, England's pre-match planning was far from ideal.
Conversely Pakistan had enjoyed a relatively smooth build-up. Led by Wasim Akram in his second spell as captain, the team had played five three-day matches against county opposition, in an era where players could fully acclimatise themselves to conditions prior to the international fixtures. They took full advantage.
Opener Saeed Anwar thrived, scoring a double hundred and two other centuries, with Aamir Sohail, Ijaz Ahmed, Inzamam-ul-Haq and 18-year-old Shadab Kabir also filling their boots, the latter playing his way into the team for his Test debut at Lord's. With the attack spearheaded by Wasim, Waqar Younis and leg spinner Mushtaq Ahmed, there were very few selection headaches for the tourists.
England's main issue surrounded the balance of their team. Nick Knight would replace Hussain - the opener impressing with an unbeaten 90 as Warwickshire defeated Pakistan - meaning Alec Stewart would drop to number three. But would five frontline batsmen be enough and who would replace Lewis and off spinner Min Patel who had struggled against India?
Durham's Simon Brown would come in for his debut, the left-arm bowler impressing during a season that had seen him take 56 wickets for his county. Leg spinner Ian Salisbury was handed another opportunity to prove himself at international level after two years out of the team, edging out Phil Tufnell and Robert Croft.
In sunny conditions, Atherton lost two crucial tosses on the opening morning. Wasim had no hesitation in choosing to bat, and he then won the toss to choose the Reader balls rather than Atherton's preferred choice of Dukes. With the amount of times the Reader balls were changed throughout the match, Atherton seemed to have a valid point that the balls used were not as reliable as the harder Dukes.
Either way, England made a fine start. Brown took a wicket with his tenth ball, as Aamir Sohail padded up, but he would remain wicketless for the rest of his one and only Test match. When Dominic Cork bowled Ijaz Ahmed in hilarious fashion, Pakistan had slumped to 12/2.
The England fans among the full house that had defied an underground strike to make it to Lord's were optimistic of further inroads, yet a 130-run stand between Anwar and Inzamam steadied the ship. Hick's off spin would break the partnership with Anwar departing for 74, and England would continue to take wickets regularly. But Inzamam remained.
He may have been involved in a comical run out with Salim Malik, yet Inzamam moved sublimely to a century with a four and a six off Hick, as he reached his fifth Test hundred (all outside of Pakistan). But when he chopped on an Alan Mullally delivery late on for 148, and Pakistan lost two further wickets, their closing score of 290/8 left honours even.
Day two for England was one of many during the decade that promised so much but failed to deliver. With Rashid Latif and Ata-ur-Rehman adding a priceless 50 runs for the last wicket, Knight would make a half century - originally 49 until two runs originally given as leg byes were returned to the opener during the tea break - as England moved to 107/1. But three quick wickets changed the mood.
Knight was unlucky to be given out lbw - umpires Steve Bucknor and Peter Willey (standing in his first Test in England) both having difficult matches - and when Stewart padded up, and Hick was inevitably bowled by Waqar, at 116/4 England were on the ropes. Mark Ealham helped Thorpe rebuild the innings, but England would close on 200/5 to leave Pakistan in control.
Initially it seemed as if England were fighting their way back into the match on the Saturday morning. Thorpe and Jack Russell put on a stand of 80 runs, seeing off Wasim and Waqar. Yet Thorpe's beautiful innings came to an end when he inside-edged a Rehman delivery on to his stumps. Infuriatingly for such a gifted player, this was the 17th time out of 19 that he had failed to reach a hundred after passing 50.
Losing four wickets in 16 balls, the match was becoming a tale of two tails. Whereas Pakistan had added 50 for the last wicket, England's last five mustered just 25. "They have bowlers who, when the force is with them, can scatter late order batsmen as if they were no more troublesome than pigeons loitering on the outfield," Vic Marks wrote in the Observer. Quite.
England needed quick wickets, but an opening stand of 136 between Anwar and Shadab Kabir (deputising for the injured Sohail) put an end to any dreams. Anwar's 88 was backed up by Ijaz Ahmed (76) and Inzamam (70), allowing Malik and Wasim to play fluently as day four progressed. Pakistan's declaration of 352/5 set England a target of 408 in a maximum of 124 overs.
Knight departed early, but Atherton and Stewart characteristically battled hard to take England to 74/1 at the close. As day five developed, the pair continued to thwart Pakistan, taking the total up to 168/1, as English hopes of a draw increased. But you never felt comfortable as an England fan in this decade. At 1.57pm it all started to unravel.
Mushtaq removed Atherton and Stewart, Hick was (you've guessed it) bowled by Waqar in his final Test match of the English summer (43 runs in six innings), and with four more wickets falling in quick succession, at 2.58pm England had crashed to 186/8. Seven wickets, 18 runs, 75 balls, 61 minutes. Folding, England style.
Mushtaq's decision to change to bowling round the wicket just before lunch had paid dividends. "As collapses go, this was in the same class as Norman Wisdom's deckchair," Mike Selvey wrote in the Guardian. Putting on 57 runs for the last two wickets could not soften the defeat. Pakistan's 164 run win - their eighth against England and their third at Lord's - was a case of the irresistible force versus the obligingly moveable object.
"They rely on the force," Selvey noted regarding Pakistan. "But even by their standards, the tidal wave of adrenalin cricket that carried them to victory in the first Test here yesterday afternoon was something special." Waqar's match total of 8/154 earned him the man of the match award. But for many, Mushtaq proved the match winner.
"Most of the England batsmen read him as well as a Chinese dictionary and the second innings may be his showcase," Selvey had predicted during England's first knock. Sadly for English fans, Selve would be spot on. Not for the first or last time in the 90s, England struggled against high quality leg spin. One English wicket could always bring six more in this kind of situation.
"At the start and at lunch we were confident of saving the Test," Atherton stated. "But these are classy bowlers when it comes to getting into the new batsmen." Critical of the pitch that he felt was ideal for Pakistan, the England captain looked as miserable as Messrs Botham and Lamb, who would lose their libel case against Imran. Not a good week for current and former England stars at the hands of Pakistan.
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