Comment: A Test of historic significance.

IT was in 1955 that I watched my first Test ever, here at the National Stadium Karachi against India. As a cricketer and a first year college student, it was exciting enough sitting on a hill across dressing rooms at the other end, watching the stars of the time of both the home and visiting teams.

Hafeez Kardar and the Indian captain Vinoo Mankad shaking hands and then tossing the coin on a newly built ground and that too built within just two and a half months, primarily due to the efforts of PWD Engineer Kafiluddin Ahmad, was an unforgettable sight.

In the following years I also had the privilege of being at the ground when the New Zealanders came to Pakistan and also when he first Australian side led by Ian Johnson in 1956 toured. Later, the West Indian team of Gerry Alexander toured in 1958-59 followed by the formidable Australian team led by Richie Benaud when Dwight D Eisenhower - the USA President - was also in attendance.

That was history, indeed, to which I was an eye witness.

The NSK as venue also holds a special place for me, to have played my last first-class match in Pakistan's domestic cricket here, signing off with an unbeaten 68 in December 1963 against Karachi Whites which included six Pakistan Test players.

Since then, I went on to witness great feats and deeds including that first Test century ever made on this ground by Alimuddin against India in 1955, a first ball wicket on debut by Intikhab Alam against Australia, a brilliant century before lunch on the first day of the Test against New Zealand by the ever majestic Majid Khan and a fabulous double century by Javed Miandad in his debut series in the same match.

Now what pleases me most is that on this same ground, Pakistan is playing a Test of a historic series which marks the return of Test cricket in Pakistan after a decade since that tragic incident at Lahore in March 2009 when the Sri Lankan team were attacked by a bunch of terrorists that caused isolation of Pakistan from international cricket.

The Sri Lankans, in that fateful series, were led by great batsman Mahela Jayawardene. In the Karachi Test it was a high scoring game in which 1,553 runs were scored in all in a drawn game. Both Jayawardene and Samaraweera had made a double century each - 240 and 231 respectively.

For Pakistan, who piled up a massive 765-6 declared, Younis Khan had the lion's share with his monumental 313. Kamran Akmal also scored a fine 158. Besides that, Faisal Iqbal, Shoaib Malik and...