Inzamam-ul-Haq recalls how two youngsters taught him a lesson in 2005 India Test series

The India vs Pakistan match is always a must-win game for both sides. It is not only about beating each other, but it is more than that. Given how the stakes are high always when these two teams come up against each other, the matches are quite interesting to watch. One such match had happened in Mohali in 2005.

India was playing Pakistan in a Test series at home in 2005. A year ago, India had beaten Pakistan in Pakistan 2-1 to clinch the Test series. It was the payback time for Pakistan but the team didn’t play up to their standards. Years after that match, captain of the then Pakistan team, Inzamam-ul-Haq expressed how two youngsters taught him and other senior players a lesson.

When a junior cricketer performs the seniors feel ‘if they can do it, why can’t we’: Inzamam-ul-Haq

Pakistan was down and out in that match. They were six wickets down with only a mere 50-run lead. It seemed that India will wrap up the match easily on the last day, but the two youngsters from Pakistan stood up. They were Abdul Razzaq and Kamran Akmal. The two players stitched a partnership of close to 200 runs and denied India a win. Akmal got a hundred while Razzaq scored a fifty. Inzamam said that it was the effort of these two youngsters which made senior players like him, Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf think.

“When a junior cricketer performs the seniors feel ‘if they can do it, why can’t we’. This has happened many times in cricket. We were playing in Chandigarh in 2005, where Razzaq and Kamran Akmal put together a partnership to save the Test match. Akmal scored a century and Razzaq scored 70 odd. Me, Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf were sitting inside the dressing room and we realized if two junior cricketers can fight like this and then why can’t we?” said Inzamam on his YouTube channel.

Pakistan saved that Test match in Mohali and went for the next Test with the scoreline of 0-0. However, India won the next Test match in Kolkata to finally assert a lead. Inzamam and Younis Khan batted superbly in the third and the final Test in Bangalore to draw the series 1-1.

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