By Patrick Kidd, The Times
Inzamam-ul-Haq’s magnificent Test career ended in a rush of blood only two balls into his final innings yesterday when he charged down the wicket at Paul Harris, the South Africa left-arm spinner, was beaten by the flight and stumped.
Inzamam had walked out to a standing ovation in Lahore, needing six runs to become Pakistan’s highest run-scorer in Tests. He shuffled down the wicket, had a word with Mohammad Yousuf, waved a bear-like paw at the sightscreen attendants and took guard before immediately getting off the mark, driving Jacques Kallis for three through mid-wicket.
Yet it proved the briefest of cameos because Inzamam misjudged the next ball he faced. Perhaps, having sat with his pads on for 35 overs as Yousuf and Younus Khan built a partnership, he was impatient to breach Javed Miandad’s record. Perhaps, with Pakistan needing 185 in 32 overs to win the Test and draw the series, he wanted to push the score along. By making only 17 runs in the match, his career average fell below 50 for the first time in two years.
Mere arithmetic should not diminish Inzamam’s place in Pakistan and world cricketing history. Nor should his sloth-like appearance, the belly that brought him abuse as aloo (potato) that triggered his bat-waving fury in a one-day match in Toronto, the controversy he attracted as captain or his ability to run out himself or his teammates. He finished with 8,830 runs from 120 Tests; of his 25 Test hundreds, 17 came in matches Pakistan won.
England were first acquainted with the giant from Multan in the 1992 World Cup final when he made 42 off 35 balls to set up a winning total. He had a golden streak against England in five Tests spread over three series from 2001 to 2006 when he made 755 runs at an average of 108.
South Africa and Pakistan lined up to applaud Inzamam, 37, off the pitch yesterday and the match later ended as a draw.
Few get the chance to go out on a high. Inzamam echoed Donald Bradman’s final appearance when, with four needed at the Oval to finish with a career average of 100, the Australian was bowled second ball for a duck by Eric Hollies. Brian Lara’s final international for West Indies also ended in miserable fashion, against England in April, when he was run out at the nonstriker’s end having been called for a run by Marlon Samuels and then belatedly sent back.
Falling at the last
Inzamam is in good company among other players who came up short in their quest for a record . . .
Don Bradman, 6,996 runs
Not just a boundary short of being the first Australian to score 7,000 Test runs, but also one four away from averaging 100. Greg Chappell made 182 in his final Test innings to pass Bradman’s haul, the spoilsport.
Majid Khan, 3,931 runs
Made a duck in his final innings (and 31 in the two before that) when well poised to be the first Pakistani to 4,000 runs. In any case, Zaheer Abbas made 569 runs in three innings to pip Majid to the mark.
Eddie Paynter, average 59.23
Paynter needed to score 29 in his final two Test innings to have an average of 60, beaten by only four players whose careers have finished. He made nine and nought.
Michael Holding, 249 wickets
Retired the same year as Joel Garner, another West Indies great. If Garner had given him one of his 256 wickets, they would both have reached a landmark.
