Reminiscence: My first match
The cricket bug (intended) bit me hard around the wintertime of 1995, when Sri Lanka, West Indies and Australia were locked in battle in the tri-series down under and I was holed up at my grandparents' with fever, glued to the television.
The 1996 World Glass in the near future followed and I was hooked. That summer time, we were fortunate to visit England on my father's furlough, and at the back of my head, I knew that I'd maintain the same region where the likes of Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Saeed Anwar and Inzamamul Haque will be involved in a Test series.
In my early on teen brain, I was just simply cherishing the possibility to watch it on television set in the same country. But my father, who viewed my cricket mania with a sort of amused annoyance, possessed the very best surprise in retail store for me.
On July 29, he explained that he had bought tickets for the fifth day of the first of all Test. I cannot adequately describe my glee -- simply picture scenes of kids running around the dining room table and shouting near the top of their voices.
Lord's did not have the futuristic looking media center then, and was steeped found in tradition. Reverence may be the only word to spell it out the sensation when entering the ground. I do nearly remember the brand of the stand we sat in, but the viewpoint was that of square leg or deep go over.
England, who all had reached 152 for just one at lunch, certainly seemed to be responding good to the mark of 408 collection by Akram. Skipper Michael Atherton have been at the forefront with 64. Alec Stewart hit 89. The pitch, Cricinfo informs me, was slow. The sound of ball striking bat was clear as the tradition-obsessed audience quietened down as the bowler ran up.
England had reached tea with 3 wickets straight down, and it seemed a pull was looming. But following the break, emerged Waqar, who had previously dismissed opener Nick Knight. Working in furiously, and bowling lightning quickly, he made short job of England's batsmen. Graeme Hick was initially to move, and Jack Russell -- the only person not to end up being bowled among Waqar's three victims after tea -- and Dominic Cork used. England lost their previous nine wickets for 76 runs, with leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed as well taking five.
However in my mind's eyes, it was the view of Waqar putting worries of God into Englishmen that even now lingers, and probably a huge part of as to why I am found in this job.
