Before the Indian cricketers landed in Pakistan in the first week of this month, I had spoken of having some unfinished business to attend to in the series. It wasn't just a remark made in jest, I meant every word of it. After all, I had not done well when we lost the last series 2-1 in 2004, and am keen to deliver a good performance against India. I guess the batsman's paradise on which the first Test was played in Lahore has only served to strengthen that resolve.
Although some of that Test was lost to bad light and rain, the fall of just eight wickets—including two run-out decisions—is a fair reflection of how much the batsmen enjoyed themselves. I am sure I will not be the only bowler to remember the Lahore Test match as one made for batsmen, while we were destined to merely toil away, our teeth drawn out.
I overheard my friend Harbhajan Singh tell someone in jest that the pitch must be dug up and all the bowlers buried there. I can see where he is coming from but, while the contest was alive, we had to stay positive in our pursuit of Indian wickets. I must also agree with our captain Inzamam-ul-Haq's views that flat tracks may discourage the fans from watching Test matches.
The one thing for which I shall remember the Lahore Test match is the number of breaks we had to take during the Indian innings because of bad light. It's never easy for the bowlers, especially the faster ones. You are expected to run in quickly and bowl to batsmen like Sehwag. When you are in and out of the ground often, it is hard to focus and easy to lose the tempo that you are building up. And on a track like this, you have to bend your back to get some lift.
Besides, there are a lot more chances for a pace bowler to get injured. One had to get in early and do a lot of stretches so that one was adequately warmed up. The uppermost thought on the mind was to avoid injury. I must point out that I'm not blaming anyone since I realise this is part of the game and that there was little anyone could do about the the overcast conditions.
Talking of the first two days, any Pakistani would have been delighted at the manner in which four of our batsmen made centuries. Younis Khan, Mohammed Yousuf, the inimitable Shahid Afridi and the vastly improving Kamran Akmal enjoyed themselves at the expense of the Indian bowlers. They strung together big partnerships, reminding us bowlers that we also needed to find the right combination when our turn to field came. We were also hoping that the big score would help us pile the pressure on the Indians.
But then Sehwag and Rahul Dravid put their heads down and came up with a massive partnership. What can one say of Sehwag that hasn't already been said? He's a match-winner and a dangerous batsman who seems to motivate himself so much to perform well against us. Inshallah, over the next two matches, we will be able to contain him and not let him score the boundaries that he hits so freely. Dravid showed his classy technique throughout his 410-run partnership with Sehwag.
There was one particular moment when the Indian captain and I stared at one another after I completed my follow through. Put that down to the adrenaline flow and an eagerness to create chances when on the ground. We did not exchange a word. The TV cameras may have loved that but I guess they missed the two of us having a quiet chat in the pavilion. I must echo Dravid's belief that we have immense respect for one another.
I must say that the atmosphere in the Pakistan dressing room has been great. A lot of effort has come from the captain Inzamam-ul-Haq. He has been the key in getting the guys around and deserves all the credit that has come his way.
Even as we are preparing to drive down from Lahore, the bowlers on both sides will all be expecting that the second Test in Faisalabad would be better for us. We have been hearing some reports of how the weather there has not let the ground staff prepare the pitch to their satisfaction and of how the foggy conditions there do not augur well. Still, the bowlers will all be hoping that we can offer the batsmen a greater challenge in Faisalabad than in Lahore.