On This Day, December 9, 1979: The Colonel Gives Pakistan a Big Scare, and the Three Shadow Controversy

It was the second Test of Pakistan's six-Test tour to India in 1979-80. Pakistan, led by Asif Iqbal, elected to bat first and posted 273 courtesy a 97 from Wasim Raja. Sikander Bakht then ran through the Indian top and middle order and returned with 8-69 off 21 overs routing India for a paltry 126 in just under 42 overs. Skipper, Sunil Gavaskar, top-scored for the home team with 31. Half centuries from again, Raja and Zaheer Abbas helped Pakistan to 242 in the second innings setting India a daunting 390 in almost a day and a half of play.

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Gavaskar and Chetan Chauhan gave India a solid start before Bakht gave the hosts a huge blow getting rid of the Little Master for 21. In came the Colonel - Dilip Vengsarkar. India lost Chauhan with the score at 92. Vengsarkar stood firm on one end and negotiated whatever was thrown at him - from Bakht, Abdul Qadir, Iqbal Qasim and others. He forged a useful partnerships of 62 for third-wicket with Gundappa Viswanath before being involved in a match-changing stand of 122 for the fourth-wicket with Yashpal Sharma (60 off 135 deliveries).

Vengsarkar continued to pair with the likes of Kapil Dev and Roger Binny and almost took India to a miraculous and impossible victory. He finally remained unbeaten on 146 off 370 deliveries and was at the crease for 522 minutes. India ended with 364 for 6, just 26 short of what would have been one of the greatest 4th innings' chases of all-time in Test cricket history. Pakistan were four wickets short of a win. Vengsarkar's long vigil at the crease (almost 62 overs and 9 hours) meant that not only did he give India an outside chance of a historic win but also negotiated the Pakistani bowlers and kept them at bay denying the visitors of what in all likelihood would have been a series-leading victory for them. To put India in such a position after a first innings' deficit of 147 spoke volumes of the quality of Vengsarkar's innings and his temperament.

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India had chased down just one target higher than the one set in Delhi by Pakistan till then in their Test history - they had scored 406 for 4 to beat West Indies at Port of Spain in 1976. However, twice in the recent past they had come close of overhauling massive 4th innings' targets. Chasing 438, they ended with 429 for 8 courtesy a majestic 221 by Gavaskar against England at The Oval three months back in August-September, 1979. In January-February, 1978, chasing 493 against Australia at the Adelaide Oval, India, with contributions from most of their top-order ended with 445 falling 47 short. In both London and in Adelaide, Vengsarkar had registered a fifty!

Coming back to Delhi, in an unrelated incident, Dilip Doshi was adjudged run-out in the first innings when he left his crease to complain to the umpire about the shadow of a tree on the pitch but the Pakistani team later withdrew their appeal keeping in mind the larger ramifications and the sensitive relationship between the two countries.

• chetan Chauhan
• dilip vengsarkar
• From The Archives
• India vs Pakistan
• Kapil Dev
• On this day
• Roger Binny
• sunil gavaskar
• zaheer abbas