Imran Khan's 8 for 60 in the second innings at Karachi headlined a 40-wicket series in which he averaged 13.95 — one of the most dominant individual fast-bowling performances in Test history.
Pakistan went into the series with home advantage and a confident attack including Sarfraz Nawaz.
The 1982-83 home series against India was Imran's coronation. He took 40 wickets at 13.95 across six Tests, opened the bowling with reverse swing that the visiting batsmen could not read, and led Pakistan to a 3-0 series win. The 8 for 60 at Karachi — backed up with 3 for 28 in the first innings — sealed an innings-and-86-run win and put Pakistan 1-0 up. Sunil Gavaskar called the spell 'as fast and as accurate as anything I have ever faced'. The series is also notable as the start of the institutional reverse-swing era — Imran taught Wasim Akram the technique on this tour, and within a decade reverse swing was a permanent feature of the Test game. Imran's series figures of 40 wickets at 13.95 remained the benchmark for an Asian fast bowler for 30 years.
8/60 at Karachi (second innings)
11/79 at Karachi (match)
Pakistan win first Test by innings and 86
40 wickets in 6 Tests at 13.95
Series won 3-0
Karachi
11/79 in match
Lahore
5/wicket haul
Faisalabad
Pakistan complete 3-0
Series end
40 wickets at 13.95
“It was as fast and as accurate as anything I have ever faced.”
“Imran reverse-swung the old ball at 90 mph. We had no answer.”
Imran's series performance pushed him into the captaincy permanently within months.
The series in which Imran went from a fine bowler to the best fast bowler in the world.
Often cited as the greatest sustained fast-bowling series of all time alongside Marshall 1988 and Lillee 1981.
Yorkshire v Essex
1932-06-16
On 15-16 June 1932 Herbert Sutcliffe (313) and Percy Holmes (224*) put on 555 for the first wicket against Essex at Leyton, breaking the world first-class record for any wicket and adding a layer of folklore — including a scoreboard that read 554 for several minutes and a hastily reversed declaration — that has clung to the partnership ever since.
Australia v England
1933-02-14
With the fate of the Bodyline series in the balance and England 216 for 6 chasing 340, Eddie Paynter checked himself out of a Brisbane hospital where he was being treated for acute tonsillitis, taxied to the Gabba in pyjamas and a dressing gown, and batted for nearly four hours to score 83. England drew level on first innings, won the Test by six wickets and the series 4-1.
Australia
1934-09-25
Days after the 1934 Oval Test, Bradman fell seriously ill with appendicitis that progressed to peritonitis. With antibiotics not yet available, he was given little chance of survival; his wife Jessie left Adelaide on a sea voyage to England prepared for the worst. He recovered after weeks of intensive nursing in a London nursing home and returned to first-class cricket the following Australian summer.