India, March 17 -- Heading into the rest day - it once used to be a regular feature in Test cricket - of the final encounter, the match, indeed the series, was tantalisingly poised. India and Pakistan were level after four preceding stalemates and on the rest day after the third day's play, everyone knew that the fate of the series rested on strong, unyielding shoulders on which he had carried his country's batting for 16 years.

Chasing 221 for victory, India had gone to stumps on day three at 99 for four. In the middle were Mohammad Azharuddin, on seven, and an opener who, in the preceding game in Ahmedabad, had become the first batter in Test history to complete 10,000 runs. Sunil Gavaskar, the little master, was unbeaten on 51; it was...