Indian captain Bishan Singh Bedi took the Indian batsmen off the field at Sahiwal and conceded during the third One-day International match against Pakistan in protest against persistent short-pitched bowling.
Catch the Cricket highlights of the 3rd ODI match between Pakistan and India, played on November 03, 1978, at the Zafar Ali Stadium, Sahiwal. This match was part of India's tour of Pakistan, a 3-match One-day international series where India walk-off and Pakistan won by 22-runs.
Match Report
In the 38th over of India’s 40-over innings, with India needing 23 runs to win, The Indian captain Bishan Singh Bedi summoned the batsmen off the field in protest against persistent short-pitched bowling by Pakistan. This move handed Pakistan a 22-run victory and secured their first-ever ODI series win against India, with a 2-1 result in the three-match series.
At the time of the walk-off, India were 183 for 2 wickets, with eight wickets in hand, chasing Pakistan’s total of 205 for 7.
Earlier, Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat first. Their openers started well, with Majid Khan and Azmat Rana putting together a 38-run partnership for the first wicket. Azmat Rana was dismissed for 20, bowled by Mohinder Amarnath. Zaheer Abbas joined the innings and added 28 runs for the second wicket before being caught by Karsan Ghavri off Srinivas Venkataraghavan.
At 66 for 2, Majid Khan contributed a valuable 37 runs off 55 balls before being bowled by Venkataraghavan. Javed Miandad added 7 runs but was leg before wicket to Mohinder Amarnath.
Pakistan stood at 111 for 4 when Asif Iqbal and Hasan Jamil steadied the innings with a crucial 56-run partnership for the fifth wicket, Hasan Jamil was eventually bowled by Kapil Dev for 26.
Asif Iqbal played a magnificent innings of 62 runs, helping Pakistan reach 205 for 7 in their allotted 40 overs.
India’s bowlers performed well, with Srinivas Venkataraghavan taking 2 for 34, Mohinder Amarnath 2 for 35, Kapil Dev 2 for 49 and Karsan Ghavri claiming 1 wicket.
In response, India needed 206 runs to win in 40 overs. Openers Chetan Chauhan and Anshuman Gaekwad gave India a solid start, putting on 44 runs for the first wicket. Chauhan was dismissed for 23, caught behind by Wasim Bari off Hasan Jamil.
After Chauhan’s departure, Gaekwad and Surinder Amarnath faced a strong Pakistani bowling attack with determination. Gaekwad reached his half-century, followed by Surinder Amarnath, who also scored a delightful fifty. The pair added 119 runs for the second wicket before Amarnath was caught by Imran Khan off Asif Iqbal for 62.
With India needing 43 runs to win, Gundappa Viswanath came to the crease at number 3. Gaekwad and Viswanath added an unbeaten 20 runs, reducing the target to 23 runs from 14 balls.
At this critical juncture, Pakistan’s medium-pacer Sarfraz Nawaz returned for his second spell. He bowled two bouncers well outside the batsmen’s reach, conceding four runs in his next over. In the 38th over, Nawaz delivered four consecutive bouncers, all rising above the batsmen’s heads and not being called wides by the umpire. Despite one bouncer being deflected by Gaekwad for a single, the persistent short-pitched bowling caused tension.
Almost on the verge of victory, India’s captain Bishan Bedi decided to lead his team off the field in protest, effectively conceding the match to Pakistan.
Asif Iqbal was named Player of the Match for his crucial innings of 62 runs off 72 deliveries.
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